GoM meets to deal with water-borne disease AES

GoM meets to deal with water-borne disease AES

The Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to work out an action plan to deal with the deadly Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) that have claimed over 850 lives so far this year across the country, met for the first time on Monday but could not reach any decision on the way forward.

The GoM will now again meet on Friday even as the water-borne disease has spread its tentacles in 135 districts in 16 States.

“Only the broad contours of the action plan were discussed but a decision on the logistics to tackle the disease at the ground-level remains to be taken,” sources said.

The meeting remained focused on the poll-bound UP, where 3,085 people are affected and 478 persons have been killed so far. The GoM, headed by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, was set up on November 8.

Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu are also witnessing a surge in cases with 250, 54 and 14 deaths respectively so far this year compared to 117, 7 and 7 each during the same period last year. Overall, 6,297 people are being treated in various hospitals in the country.

Apart from Azad, the GoM includes Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water Sanitation Jairam Ramesh and Minister of State of Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath.

The GoM’s next meeting will have concerned ministries proposing respective programmes on preventive measures, case management and rehabilitation (of disabled children, schools for physically and mentally challenged ) steps to deal with the disease for consideration and approval of the Cabinet.