Decrease Observed in the Number of Cases of Neonatal Tetanus, Measles

The Rajya Sabha has been informed that the number of people suffering from neonatal tetanus and measles has come down over the last two years.

"The number of reported measles cases has decreased from 56,188 in 2009 to 29,462 in 2011. Similarly, the number of reported neonatal tetanus cases has decreased from 898 in 2009 to 653 in 2011 as per the report of the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI)," Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told the upper house in reply to a question.

Tetanus - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQs
Tetanus (or Lockjaw) is a serious preventable infection that can affect the muscles and nerves and results from contamination of wound. The vaccine against Tetanus can prevent the infection.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), neonatal tetanus is particularly common in rural areas where most deliveries are at home without adequate sterile procedures. Measles is spread due to a virus that shows symptoms after eight to 12 days of infection.

The government had also initiated a measles catch-up campaign in 2010 which reached out to 13.5 crore children. For neonatal tetanus, the Janini Suraksha Yojana (safe motherhood) has also been rolled out to promote clean and safe delivery.

Source-IANS

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