States directed to act to prevent dengue

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda was on Friday briefed about the readiness of states to tackle dengue and directed officers to work in coordination with the Swachh Bharat campaign to ensure a mosquito-free environment.

Nadda directed the concerned officials to continuously monitor the situation and to keep him apprised.

Nadda has given topmost priority to advance preparedness of states affected by dengue in order to effectively manage the viral disease. He has been personally monitoring the situation and the preparedness of states, said an official statement.

The minister has directed the officials in the ministry to gear up to meet the possible incidence of dengue during monsoon. "We are coordinating with states concerned and are ready to provide all necessary support," said Nadda.

Under his direction, B.P. Sharma, secretary (health and family welfare) chaired a high-level meeting to review the dengue situation in the four northern states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Territory of Delhi here on Thursday.

Reviewing the preparedness, the states were advised that as no vaccine is available for prevention of dengue and as there is no specific drug for treatment of the disease, elimination of mosquito vector breeding needs to be the top priority to reduce the risk of transmission.

The states were asked to strengthen spreading information and awareness about dengue and work in coordination with Swachha Bharat Campaign to maintain a mosquito free environment.

The health secretary pointed out that community awareness campaign plays a crucial role to create awareness and prevent panic in case of dengue spread.

The states were advised to launch public awareness campaigns to disseminate information on the Do's and Don'ts of dengue to educate communities for prevention of dengue.

The states were advised to give priority to training of doctors based on the National Guidelines on Dengue case management. The states were also asked to ensure availability of dengue diagnostic kits (ELISA based NS1 and IgM) in all the Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals.