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Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association Does Its Bit for Polio

by Kaavya on Feb 24 2008 5:08 PM

In an attempt to spread awareness about polio and ways to eradicate the disease, the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association organised a 12-kilometre half long marathon. Over 8000 people took part in the event.

Chief Minister Mayawati flagged off the marathon.

School children, officials, athletes and the residents enthusiastically jogged across the city, said Aanadeshwer Pandey, one of the organiser of the event.

India was the focus of concern within the global health community after 676 cases in 2006.

Ninety Six percent of the cases were declared to be of the virulent type 1 strain that paralyses one out of every 200 children.

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are the two states most susceptible to the disease because of their tropical climate, crowded towns, poor sanitary conditions, high birth rates and reports of people suffering from diarrhoea

The Type 3 strain paralyses one in 1,000 infected children and does
not travel far. The Type 2 strain of polio was last recorded in Uttar Pradesh in 1999.

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Apart from India, polio is in existence in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Source-ANI
KAV/C


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