Cabinet clears Rs 4,038-crore plan to tackle encephalitis in 5 states

A Rs4,038-crore multi-pronged plan for prevention and control of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) was cleared by the government today.

The Union Cabinet cleared the proposal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for implementation of the intervention/activities recommended by the Group of Ministers (GoM) for prevention and control of JE/AES will be implemented initially in 60 priority districts.

The plan will implemented in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Assam within five years from 2012-13 to 2016-17.

It will be jointly implemented by the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Social Justice and Empowerment, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Women and Child Development.

The progress of the multi-pronged strategy will be monitored by a task force set up by the Health Ministry and work on the plan will start soon.

Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome have have claimed almost 1,000 lives in the country in 2012.