Japanese Encephalitis Could be poll issue in Poorvanchal

NEW DELHI: The health ministry panel headed by minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is trying to adopt a "short, medium and long-term" strategy to deal with annual outbreak of Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome.

This year alone the disease claimed 861 lives. The Centre will turn the spotlight on the administrative machinery of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, where 75% cases are reported.

Till early November, over 470 deaths were recorded in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome are annual features in Poorvanchal.

The group of ministers is expected make an announcement to tackle the problem, after its next meeting on Friday and Congress is likely to make Uttar Pradesh's health care a major issue for the assembly polls.

The Mayawati government is already reeling under the National Rural Health Mission scam, where two chief medical officers were murdered.

JE cases have been reported recently from 135 districts across 17 states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.