Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is a major public health concern in India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh (UP), where recurrent AES outbreaks have occurred since 1978. UP is the most populous state with an overburdened health system, and the incidence of AES is 9 cases per million population (2019) and a 5.8% mortality rate. Since 2019, there has been a steady decline in deaths due to AES in UP due to the implementation of series of system strengthening measures and a strong surveillance system.

Timely intervention is a key component in reducing the case burden of AES which requires an integrated response system in the public healthcare infrastructure. This brief talks about the learnings from the project implemented by PATH in 75 districts of UP to ensure the retention of the improved system of reduced response time, supple surveillance system, efficient management, and improved capacity of healthcare providers.