Dengue prevention campaign to be launched in Jalpaiguri

Health workers will launch a campaign in the municipal area of Jalpaiguri to promote good practices as a measure to prevent dengue.

The district Health department held a meeting with four municipalities at the Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad Hall on Wednesday, with District Magistrate Shama Parveen attending the meeting.

The meeting also discussed the use of mosquito nets as part of a comprehensive dengue prevention programme.

Jalpaiguri has consistently ranked highest in dengue cases in the state in recent years. Last year, the district recorded a total of 3,908 infections, resulting in three deaths. While the situation is comparatively better this year, the district Health department stated that the dengue cases are still on the rise.

Last week, the district reported 336 cases, which has now increased to 403 in just seven days.

District health officials expressed concerns that this number may continue to rise. Despite various programmes aimed at preventing dengue, including garbage cleanup, door-to-door surveys to prevent water stagnation, and keeping drains clean, the number of cases keeps increasing.

In light of this, a meeting was convened at the Zilla Parishad Hall on Wednesday to assess the overall situation in the district.

Shama Parveen remarked: “We conducted a meeting with the public representatives of the four municipalities regarding dengue. While there are no major issues, we are taking significant steps to enhance cleanliness.”

Ashim Haldar, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) for Jalpaiguri, stated: “Efforts to prevent dengue are ongoing, with a strong focus on preventing water accumulation and conducting house-to-house surveys to raise awareness.

During these surveys, residents will be advised to use mosquito nets at night to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Additionally, individuals recovering from dengue will be encouraged to stay in isolation under a mosquito net for 14 days, 24 hours a day.”