Government taking measures to prevent dengue outbreak

ROHAN SHRIVASTAV | NT

Panaji

After significantly reducing the incidence of malaria in Goa over the years, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) is aiming to eliminate malaria and laying emphasis to control, manage and prevent any outbreak of dengue in the state.

The state has witnessed a drop in malaria cases. However, cases of dengue have been consistently on the rise in the last three years.

As per the data provided by DHS, Goa was worst affected by the disease in 2019 when 726 cases of dengue were reported across the state.

Goa recorded 293 cases of dengue in 2015 when it was hit by the disease. Following the outbreak in that year, the health department launched a massive drive and managed to bring down the number of cases to 150 in 2016. Just when it appeared that the state had been able to contain the viral disease, the number of dengue cases rose to 335 in 2018 and reached an all-time high of 726 cases in 2019.

This year, progressive up to April, one confirmed case and 142 suspected cases of dengue have been reported in the state.

National vector-borne disease control programme (NVBDCP) officer Dr Anant Palekar, speaking to this daily, said that the dengue virus comprises of four closely related serotypes – DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. He said all the four strains are prevalent in Goa.

“The breeding and dynamics of malaria and dengue are different. Hence, it is comparatively easier to have control over malaria than dengue,” Dr Palekar said.

He said the NVBDCP cell of the DHS, through the urban, primary and community health centres, is undertaking vector control measures wherein more emphasis is being laid in the high-risk areas and the hotspots where maximum cases were reported during the last year.

“We have started our work from April onwards. Anti-larval measures, source reduction with cleanliness drives and fogging operations are being carried out across the state,” he said. Dr Palekar said the department is on the right track to eliminate malaria by the end of the year and added that DHS is taking pro-active steps in order to achieve the target.

“In order to eliminate malaria, it is important to control imported cases and with less movement of labourers due to the ongoing lockdown we are expecting the imported cases will decrease substantially,” the senior health officer said.

As per the DHS data, a total of 18 indigenous malaria cases have been reported in the state from January to April this year. In 2016, around 742 cases were recorded, while in 2017 the malaria cases came down to 653. The state witnessed a significant decline in 2018 when the new malaria cases recorded were 377. In 2019, the cases further declined and 272 cases were recorded.

Dr Palekar said poor sanitation and poor water collection and storage practices often lead to mosquito breeding, specifically in slum areas, while in urban areas including residential apartments, mosquito breeding is mostly found in unattended water tanks, buckets, plastic plates placed under flowerpots and in solid waste thrown in the open where rainwater gets accumulated.

He appealed to the people to maintain cleanliness in their vicinity and urged them and the local self-governing bodies to cooperate with DHS in implementing the preventive measures across Goa.