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Sagar Watch : OPINION
For decades, encephalitis was one of Uttar Pradesh’s most painful and persistent public health tragedies. In the ten years preceding the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state recorded 47,509 cases of encephalitis, leading to the heartbreaking loss of 8,373 infants.
These were not just statistics; they were lives cut short, families shattered, and a systemic failure that had almost been accepted as fate, particularly in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Today, that grim narrative has been decisively rewritten. For two consecutive years, Uttar Pradesh has reported zero deaths due to encephalitis. This is not a coincidence, nor a miracle—it is the outcome of focused, sustained, and accountable governance.
The turnaround rests on two pillars that public health experts have long emphasised but governments often neglect: prevention and infrastructure.
Over the past few years, the state has undertaken massive vaccination drives, administering nearly 34 million vaccines, targeting the most vulnerable—infants and children. Vaccination addressed the medical root of the disease, but the government did not stop there.
Equally critical was the recognition that encephalitis is not merely a medical issue; it is deeply linked to poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water.
By providing 21 million tap water connections, the state tackled the environmental and social conditions that allowed the disease to thrive.
Clean water reduced exposure to infection, while improved hygiene broke the cycle of transmission that had haunted generations.
What makes this achievement remarkable is its consistency. Encephalitis deaths had long been seasonal headlines, returning every year with depressing regularity. Ending that cycle required political will, administrative discipline, inter-departmental coordination, and relentless monitoring—qualities that define effective governance but are rarely sustained over time.
This success also offers a broader lesson for India. Big problems do not always require flashy solutions; they require clarity of intent, scale of action, and continuity of effort. When governance focuses on outcomes rather than optics, even deeply entrenched challenges can be overcome.
Uttar Pradesh’s encephalitis-free record for two years running stands as a quiet but powerful example of what is possible when policy, execution, and accountability align. Thousands of children are alive today because the state chose to act decisively rather than resign itself to inevitability.
In an era where governance is often judged by rhetoric, this achievement reminds us that real success is measured in lives saved.
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