Chandigarh: Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh on Friday directed the officials to ensure the ‘Har Shukarvaar Dengue Te Vaar’ campaign evolves into a mass movement, with active participation of students and teachers in identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding sites such as stagnant water in coolers, flower pots and overhead tanks.Chairing a high-level state task force meeting along with finance and transport minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Dr Balbir Singh stressed the need for a coordinated and unified response to tackle vector-borne, water-borne and zoonotic diseases across the state.The minister emphasised that the battle against diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, rabies and leptospirosis required a ‘One Health’ approach, integrating human, animal and environmental health strategies.He highlighted that the state had significantly bolstered its diagnostic infrastructure, now offering free ELISA testing for dengue and chikungunya at 47 Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals and extending malaria RDT and dengue testing to all Aam Aadmi Clinics.While reviewing the departmental contributions, Dr Balbir Singh lauded the health department for its consistent efforts in reducing the dengue burden from 23,389 confirmed cases in 2021 to just 4,981 in 2025. The related deaths dropped from 55 to just eight in the same period.The minister stated that the significant drop in mortality and morbidity was a testament to the department’s proactive house-to-house surveillance and the strategic deployment of 15 million visits during the last transmission season.He further noted that while dengue was once primarily an urban threat, nearly 42% of cases in 2025 were reported from the rural areas, necessitating a shift in focus toward fogging, larvicidal spraying in village ponds and the release of gambusia fish for mosquito control.Furthering the agenda on zoonotic threats, the health minister discussed the National Rabies Control Programme, noting that while anti-rabies vaccines are now available across 746 govt health facilities in Punjab, departments must expedite the creation of district-wise animal birth control facilities to achieve 70% herd immunity in the dog population.He stressed that the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme was now utilising the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal for real-time reporting of outbreaks, and called upon the Indian Medical Association to ensure private practitioners immediately report all notifiable diseases to help the state take timely remedial actions.During the meeting, Dr Balbir Singh also voiced concerns over water-borne diseases, directing the local govt and water supply departments to ensure 100% chlorination of drinking water and regular sampling, especially in identified hotspots, to prevent outbreaks of hepatitis A, E, diarrhoea and cholera.Raising concerns over the recent outbreak of leptospirosis at Hazara Singh Wala village in district Ferozepur, Dr Balbir Singh said he, along with the deputy commissioner, would visit the village to rectify the causes of the outbreak and form model SOPs to counter any such disease outbreak in Punjab.Harpal Singh Cheema assured that the finance department would provide all necessary support to maintain the downward trend.The finance minister also emphasised that all Punjab Roadways and PRTC workshops had been directed to ensure the timely disposal of discarded tyres and broken vehicle parts, which were notorious breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito. He urged all stakeholders to maintain this momentum to ensure a disease-free Punjab in 2026.MSID:: 129999831 413 |
