ALIGARH: Aligarh city has earned the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of polio cases in the world during the current year.

 

More than 40 per cent of all the recorded 28 cases of polio in Uttar Pradesh this year have been detected in Aligarh city alone, health officials here said.

 

According to official statistics, of the 87 polio cases in the country this year, 11 have been recorded in the city.

 

Health experts said extremely poor sanitary levels, contaminated drinking water, poor garbage disposal and the near absence of an effective drainage system were mainly responsible for increasing number of polio cases here.

 

Strong resistance among the illiterate and underprivileged sections of society against polio vaccination programmes was another major contributory factor, they said.

 

Significantly, all the 11 polio cases in the city have been found in Muslim families.

 

However, following a major drive by a group of Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders, led by the Aligarh Muslim university academicians, has resulted in a dramatic rise in the percentage of Muslim participation in the anti-polio campaign in the city', officials said.

 

A 50 per cent jump in the participation of persons belonging to the minority community was recorded in Sunday's pulse polio drive, the health officials added.