The Union Health Ministry on Friday advised States and municipalities to be vigilant for timely containing of any outbreak of dengue.
Chairing a meeting of a high-level inter-ministerial meeting through hybrid mode to review the dengue situation in nine high-burden states and assess the preparedness, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said, “It is important for relevant stakeholders including the Urban Development Ministry, States, Municipal Corporations and local self-government bodies to cooperate and work in tandem to prevent and manage dengue cases in the country.”
Chandra highlighted the need for pre-emptive steps and public health measures in view of the monsoon season, when dengue cases typically peak around August, September, October, and November.
Emphasising that cases have been increasing over the past four years, year after year, the Health Secretary said: “Although dengue cases generally peak in October, this year’s trend shows that, as of July 31, 2024, the number of cases is already almost 50 per cent higher than at the same time last year.”
Chandra urged the States to ensure that they are prepared for the upcoming peak.
He said while the number of cases has been rising over the past four years, the Dengue Case Fatality Rate has decreased from 3.3 per cent in 1996 to 0.17 per cent in 2023 due to focused, timely and collaborative efforts.
Chandra advised the States to be prepared with effective hospital management of the dengue patients. He also advised for identification of the hot spots, increased vector surveillance, geotagging of the cases for taking preventive actions etc.
“We need to ensure the availability of platelets and hospital resources in the health departments to bring down the fatality rate.” He assured all support to the states in combatting dengue and encouraged the states to submit their proposals to the Ministry regarding the support they require,” he said.
To enhance prevention and control efforts, Union Health Secretary called for increased collaboration between the Health Ministry and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs by developing Joint Action Plan to have a greater impact.
He highlighted the need for support from the Urban Development Ministry in the form of cleanliness drives, particularly during the peak period of dengue cases, which spans from the onset of the monsoon season to November.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as well as Secretaries and high-level officials from the nine states of Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal participated in the meeting.
Total of 18 municipal corporations including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai virtually participated in the meeting. The highest number of cases have been reported from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
