Thiruvananthapuram: A high-level committee set up by govt to strengthen epidemic prevention efforts submitted its preliminary report to health minister K Muralidharan. The committee led by Dr S S Lal will submit a comprehensive report later. It will conduct detailed studies on issues such as why Nipah appears only in specific locations and the source of amoebic meningoencephalitis. The committee observed that dengue cases reported so far this year were fewer than those recorded during the same period last year. However, waterborne illnesses such as Shigella are being reported more frequently this year. Ongoing El Niño conditions and global climate change may increase the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya in the coming months. The committee recommended running the epidemic-prevention campaign under the name Goal. General recommendations: To make outbreak-prevention efforts more effective, coordinated action across departments is essential. In line with One Health approach, a high-level meeting of departments such as health, education, local self-govt, forest, agriculture, public works and animal husbandry should be convened immediately. A statewide three-month intensive drive for mosquito control, waste management and cleaning should begin this week itself. Using field staff and support from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme monitoring system, hotspots should be mapped and containment measures be intensified. Hygiene awareness should be strengthened to control waterborne diseases. Local field-level health workers and food safety officers should be tasked with checking water sources. Field test kits required for water testing should also be provided to these health workers. Joint inspection squads comprising food safety officers and health inspectors/junior health inspectors from the health department and local self-govt bodies should be formed in all areas to assess hygiene, safety and food quality in restaurants and food stalls, including street vendors. Ensure every eatery is inspected at least once every three months. Associations and workers in the hotel/restaurant sector should be trained and engaged as partners in disease control. Awareness about leptospirosis should be intensified. For people engaged in occupations with higher risk of exposure, preventive gear and measures (such as gloves and boots) should be provided in coordination with the labour/agriculture/local administration departments and proper use should be ensured.
