The WHO has mobilised over 55 surveillance medical officers from all over the state to these 13 districts. “Our surveillance officers will camp for the next 20 days in all high-risk areas. They will not only closely monitor the immunisation drives but also provide technical support to the polio programme in these places,” said Dr S K Patryarch, regional co-ordinator of the National Polio Surveillance Project, a collaborative programme of the Government of India and WHO.

In just a week’s time, four P1 cases have been reported in India, all from UP. This takes the total number of Type1 polio cases in the state to 11, while Bihar remains at the second position with just 2 Type1 polio cases so far this year.