VZCZCXRO5797
RR RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHCI #0223 2111137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301137Z JUL 07
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1615
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1537
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 0680
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 0682
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0449
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0442
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 1987

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT AND NEW DELHI PLS PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KHIV SENV PGOV IN
SUBJECT: RESOURCE CRIPPLED BIHAR FIGHTS AGAINST POLIO 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The state of Bihar continues to see an 
increase in polio cases.  As of the end of July 2007, 17 cases 
have been reported, compared to 13 during the same period last 
year.  In 2006, Bihar reported 61 cases of polio out of a total 
of 660 in India, which was double the number from the previous 
year.  Because of the rise in the number of cases, UNICEF and 
the Bihar Public Health Department, following Indian Expert 
Advisory Group on Polio guidelines, have increased their efforts 
to provide polio vaccinations and information to residents. 
Bihar government officials have tried to assure Post that this 
year the spread of virus will be controlled, but continued 
efforts and assistance will be necessary if the numbers are to 
decrease.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Working with the Indian Expert Advisory Group on 
Polio, UNICEF and the Bihar Public Health Department have 
intensified their polio vaccination rounds to intervals of 4-6 
weeks.  Accredited Social Health Activists have been mobilized 
by the state government and UNICEF is working closely with them 
to provide more vaccinators at the village-level.  UNICEF is 
also directly supporting 10,805 National Cadet Corp cadets (up 
from 3,000 cadets in 2006) for the same purpose in 27 districts 
in the state.  Several voluntary and philanthropic religious 
organizations are also assisting.  These efforts cover an 
estimated 64 million people (approximately 77 percent of the 
state's 82 million people) in 27 districts where UNICEF's 
operates its "social mobilization" programs.  Special, focused 
intervention is being made in another 54 high-risk areas in 
villages bordering Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The head of UNICEF's Bihar program informed Post that 
his office has expanded its "polio on wheels" program at transit 
points in between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (where 530 polio cases 
had been reported in 2006).  Indian Railways has also provided 
support to the volunteers to cover major routes between Bihar 
and Uttar Pradesh for vaccination during transit.  Even so, 
during the same period (through July 2006 and through July 2007) 
in Bihar the number of polio cases reported has gone up from 13 
to 17.   UNICEF officials added that a major concern is reaching 
the remote villages during the monsoon and flood season.  Plans 
are being drawn up to have volunteers travel by boat in some 
areas to reach flooded villages.  In addition, to reach minority 
Muslim populations two Muslim NGOs, Imarat Shariah and Silsila, 
have been enlisted to spread the message about polio 
vaccinations.  UNICEF has also appealed to Muslim leaders and 
Imams to deliver these messages in mosques and during community 
meetings. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  Although polio eradication efforts continue 
with some success in India, impoverished, populous states like 
Bihar still face difficulties in completely eliminating the 
disease.  A high-rate of migration to and from neighboring 
states makes vaccination programs more difficult to implement, 
as does annual flooding and poor infrastructure.  While UNICEF 
and the Bihar government have implemented strong campaigns 
against polio, further international support and effort is 
needed to fully eradicate the virus in the state. 
 
JARDINE