How Bihar failed to fight against encephalitis and let 173 children die

Heat, poor hygiene and malnutrition are the key reasons, said Arun Shah of the Indian Association of Paediatrics

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was smiling as he faced questions from journalists on June 10. Everyone was curious about the recent rift between the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Then, a question about the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) popped up, and suddenly his face became rigid. “This disease generally breaks out ahead of the rains. The department had taken steps to contain it. In the last few years, we have started awareness programmes, advising people not to let their children sleep without adequate food and water. However, there seems to be some slackness about