New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called for a reevaluation of state-level readiness for combating vector-borne diseases including malaria, dengue, and chikungunya now that monsoon season has arrived. Anticipating health needs, he also requested that they educate communities on how to avoid and manage the spread of such diseases. On Friday, Mandaviya participated in a review meeting digitally with Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, health ministers from 22 states, principal secretaries, and other senior officials. "We effectively reduce the disease burden with proactive preparation anticipating the health requirements and making adequate provisions for them in advance," he stated, emphasising the significance of forethought and collaborative efforts. He urged the states to get the most bang for their health care buck by investing in preventative care, stressing once more that doing so will reduce the overall illness load. In addition to community mobilisation and awareness building, the health minister requested that they share their best practises and innovative public health initiatives to prevent and manage vector breeding.
He urged people to get involved by spreading awareness campaigns and educational materials to their local communities, schools, and places of worship.
In order to notify instances, manage cases, and guarantee community engagement via IEC/social mobilisation campaign, the states were urged to involve Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres. Drugs and diagnostics, as well as any other resources the states had designated, would be made available on time and distributed efficiently. Kerala recorded 18% of all dengue cases in 2023 (until June 25), followed by Tamil Nadu at 17%, Arunachal Pradesh at 13%, Karnataka at 12%, and Maharashtra at 10%, as was discussed during the conference. Ten people in Kerala have died from dengue, while one person in both Gujarat and Maharashtra has died. Over the same time period, 39% of all chikungunya cases were reported in Karnataka, 20% in Maharashtra, 17% in Gujarat, and 10% in Puducherry. Maximum cases are documented between July and December, and so far no deaths have been reported from the disease in any state. They also noted that most cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in 2022 originated in the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.—Inputs from Agencies
