WHO praises Uttar Pradesh government for Covid-19 management

The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised the Uttar Pradesh government for its Covid-19 management strategy terming it as a good example for other states to follow, an official statement said here on Tuesday.

"The UP government's strategic response to Covid-19 by stepping up contact tracing efforts is exemplary and can serve as a good example for other states," Roderico Ofrin, WHO Country Representative, said in a statement issued here by the state government.

The global health body appreciated the efforts made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his government for the management of Covid-19, especially in tracking high-risk contacts, an official spokesperson of the government said.

Over 70,000 front-line health workers worked across the state to reach out to high-risk contacts of Covid-19 positive cases, he said.

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Acknowledging contact tracing as an essential public health tool for controlling the pandemic, Ofrin stated, “Systematic tracking of contacts through a proper mechanism is the key, along with a well-trained health workforce to implement the surveillance activities.”

“The WHO team provided technical support to the state government to boost contact tracing efforts and strengthen the capacity of field teams through training. Field monitors assessed the quality of contact tracing of 58,000 Covid-19 positive cases in 75 districts and found that 93 per cent of the high-risk contacts were traced and tested,” said Madhup Bajpai, Regional Team Leader, Uttar Pradesh Region, WHO-NPSP (National Police Surveillance Project).

In the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases, the state government has also issued an alert to all the districts and special precautions are also being taken in view of the upcoming Chhath Puja, he said.