Zika: City corporation’s action plan for vector-borne diseases

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the rising number of Zika virus infections reported in the capital, the city corporation will formulate an action plan to prevent further spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The decision was taken unanimously in a special council meeting held on Tuesday. In addition to Zika, the corporation will also expedite measures to prevent malaria and flea-borne fever as well. The draft action plan was presented by health standing committee chairperson Jameela Sreedharan. 

As per the action plan, each ward will be divided into seven blocks and a special ten-member team will be constituted for each block. One of the main objectives of the initiative is to  carry out activities including mosquito eradication in a decentralised manner. It has been decided to implement the plan in one week, starting from July 15. Special vigilance committees will be set up at ward level, which will be led by the respective ward councillors. Mayor Arya Rajendran said the ‘Dry Day Challenge’ programme to clean-up the premises of houses in the corporation will continue on Sundays.

During the meeting, the councillors asked ward-level sanitation committees in all the 100 wards to work with the full support of the people to treat waste, which is the main cause of these diseases. As part of the pre-monsoon  cleanup drive, the mayor distributed prize money to the wards that won the ‘Dry Day Challenge’. Harbour, Kuravankonam and Poonkulam ward councillors received the award from the mayor.

Decentralised Plan
  As per the action plan, each ward will be divided into seven blocks
 Spl 10-member teams will be constituted in each block
 The teams will carry out activities including mosquito eradication in a decentralised manner