Jal Jeevan Mission and Japanese Encephalitis

Jal Jeevan Mission and Japanese Encephalitis

Subject: Government Schemes

Context: Translating the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s emphasis on providing clean tap water on priority to every household in Japanese Encephalitis

Concept:

• Jal Jeevan Mission is under implementation in partnership with States/ UTs to provide tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024.
• Total budget for Jal Jeevan Mission in 2021-22 is Rs 50,011 Crore. With State’s own resources and Rs 26,940 Crore as 15^thFinance Commission tied grant for water and sanitation to RLBs/ PRIs,
• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household. It comes under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
• Creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse, would be undertaken in convergence with other government programmes/schemes.
• The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.
• JJM looks to create a janandolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.
• Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states,and 100% for Union Territories.
• For the implementation of JJM, following institutional arrangement has been proposed:
  • National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) at the Central level
  • State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at the State level
  • District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at the District level
  • Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) at Village level

Jal Jeevan Mission and Japanese Encephalitis

• Jal Jeevan Mission has provided tap water supply to more than 97 lakh households in 61 JE-AES affected priority districts.
• 05 Crore (35%) household have assured tap water supply in JE-AES affected districts.
• Jal Jeevan Mission is a key programme in reducing the burden of disease in these districts.
• Jal Jeevan Mission has significantly strengthened the preventive measures to reduce spread of JE-AES by providing clean tap water supply to economically poor households in the affected districts of Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• Among these five States, Bihar has performed well in providing tap water supply to rural households in its 15 JE-AES affected priority districts

Japanese Encephalitis

• Japanese Encephalitis – Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (JE-AES) is a serious health hazard. The disease mostly affects children and young adults which can lead to morbidity and mortality.
• These infections particularly affect malnourished children of poor economic backgrounds.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the nodal ministry.
• The history of AES in India has paralleled with that of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) since the first report in 1955 from Vellore, Tamil Nadu.
• The first outbreak of JEV was reported in Bankura district, West Bengal in 1973.
• Thereafter, sporadic cases of AES and outbreaks have been the leading cause of premature deaths due to the disease in India

Causes:

• Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases, although other sources such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals, toxins, and noninfectious agents have also been reported over the past few decades. It is not vaccine-preventable.
• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of AES in India (ranging from 5%-35%).
• Herpes simplex virus, Nipah virus, Zika virus, Influenza A virus, West Nile virus, Chandipura virus, mumps, measles, dengue, scrub typhus, S.pneumoniae are also found as causative agents for AES.
• Vaccination: As per Govt. of India guidelines, 2 doses of JE vaccine have been approved to be included in UIP