Anti-encephalitis campaign for 38 UP districts launched

"Besides awareness (about the disease), people's participation is essential (to overcome the challenge) and we will make an appeal to common people to pay importance to hygiene and consume only clean drinking water.

"We are trying to provide piped water supply but it may take some time...but in areas which have handpumps, people should consume boiled water," the chief minister said, adding that the disease can be checked through clean potable water, effective cleanliness programmes and through such immunisation schemes.

"There is another effort to provide proper treatment to those affected by the disease at the community health centres and district hospitals and see that only the serious patients reach BRD medical college hospital in Gorakhpur," he said.

He added that a special training programme for doctors and para-medical staff is being held in the BRD medical college for the purpose.

The immunisation campaign will continue till June 11.

Children up to 15 years of age have been included in it.

The drive will cover over 88 lakh children for which the central government has provided one crore vaccines.

Though vaccines are available for JE, there is no such vaccine for checking AES and better hygiene is the only way to ward it off.

Around 85 per cent cases of JE and AES are reported among Dalits and minorities.