As peak season nears, Delhi govt to run dengue awareness campaign

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj addressed the issue of mosquito-breeding sites in the city during a press conference on Wednesday. He revealed that the number of such breeding sites has stabilized, and he announced the initiation of a comprehensive awareness campaign across the city.

When asked about the dengue situation in Delhi, Bharadwaj provided insights into recent developments. He stated, “Last week, we convened a meeting with officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s health department. During this meeting, the MCD officials presented data indicating that the number of mosquito-breeding sites has reached a plateau.”

He continued, “In response to this information, I have instructed the health department and the chief secretary to launch an extensive dengue awareness campaign, especially as we approach the peak season. Remarkably, such a campaign has not been conducted this time.”

According to a report from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi released on August 7, there were 348 recorded cases of dengue in the national capital until August 5.

It’s worth noting that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had not published reports on dengue and other vector-borne diseases for several weeks, despite claims by a senior civic official last week that they were actively engaged in their routine efforts to control the spread of these diseases, emphasizing that the “situation is under control.” Typically, the MCD releases weekly reports on vector-borne disease cases every Monday.

(With PTI inputs)