Health Ministry geared up to address Dengue in the country

New Delhi, September 03, 2015: Shri B P Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare stated that the Ministry is geared up to address the recent spurt in number of Dengue cases in Delhi and other states. The Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda has been personally reviewing the status of Dengue in the country, he stated. In addition several meetings have been taken with Municipal Bodies, Delhi Government officials, Delhi Cantonment Board and MS/Directors of Central Government hospitals in Delhi to review the situation and preparedness to address and manage Dengue and not allow it to escalate. Shri Sharma has asked the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) of the Health Ministry, Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporations to coordinate their IEC activities towards this end.

Secretary (HFW) also said that all four serotypes (1, 2, 3 & 4) of Dengue were isolated from time to time from various States in India. The report of Serotype presently circulating in Delhi is awaited. The process of identification is underway at AIIMS and the result is expected within a week, he stated. He also informed that in 2015, though more cases have been reported than 2014 till 31st August, deaths have been comparatively less. Also, due to intermittent monsoon Dengue vector breeding is rampant in both residential and non-residential areas.

Secretary (HFW) has also written to Secretary (Urban Development) to allow access to several unoccupied buildings and rooftops of buildings for checking breeding. He has also urged CPWD to undertake special measures for vector control in construction sites, basements, roof tops and unused flats/buildings.

Breeding surveillance of all premises of the central government hospitals is being carried out to ensure that they are free of any vector breeding. Adequate stocks of NS1 and IgM testing kits to detect cases of Dengue are available with identified 514 sentinel surveillance hospitals and apex referral labs. The list along with the treatment guidelines is available at the Ministry’s website.

Central teams from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have visited high endemic states which have reported large number of cases, to provide technical guidance to the states to combat the situation.

The Ministry has also undertaken intensive targeted multi-media IEC activities to create mass awareness among the communities for prevention and control of Dengue.