Gorakhpur, Oct 4 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the state would soon get rid of the dreaded encephalitis and the formal announcement in this regard will be made in a short time.

Speaking at a function in Gorakhpur on Tuesday, Yogi said the state had the highest population in the country, and the state, especially eastern Uttar Pradesh, was severely affected by encephalitis before 2017.

“Before 2017, 500 to 600 patients used to be admitted to the BRD Medical College on an average annually, whereas 1,200 to 1,500 children died of the disease every year across the state. But now the disease and deaths are becoming history,” he said.

“With the concerted efforts of various government departments, UP is now on the brink of ending encephalitis. A formal announcement of its eradication will be made very soon. The control of encephalitis in the state is being hailed as a successful model at the national and global levels."

The Chief Minister said the state government had been conducting special campaigns to control communicable diseases like dengue, malaria, encephalitis, kala-azar and chikungunya since 2017 and that these campaigns had yielded positive results.

“The government conducts inter-departmental coordination campaigns for communicable disease control three times a year. The special campaign, running from October to January, includes a 15-day programme in the initial phase focused on public awareness and inter-departmental responsibilities.

"From October 16 to 31, Asha workers will go door to door to identify patients and ensure proper arrangements for their treatment in all households,” he added.