Lowest vector-borne cases due to timely action: SDMC
New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) reported the lowest figures for vector-borne diseases, Dengue, Malaria and Chikungunya in 2020 as compared to the last 5 years. The number of Dengue cases came down to 446 while Malaria and Chikungunya cases came down to 61 and 36, within SDMC jurisdiction. However, Delhi saw its sole death due to Dengue in 2020 when a 12-year-old child died of the disease due to delay in receiving medical aid.
For Delhi overall, 228 Malaria cases, 1,072 Dengue cases, and 111 Chikungunya cases were registered last year, as per a report by SDMC's Anti-Malaria Operations.
The Public Health Department of SDMC through IEC (Information, Education and Communication) spread awareness among people by distributing handbills, pasting stickers, displaying banners, poly foam charts, munadi by PA system on three
wheelers, message on public toilets, unipoles, etc. During the awareness drive, a total of 5,700 meetings were held with RWAs, 17,92,375 handbills were distributed, 6,94,545 stickers were pasted, 9,600 calendars were distributed, 3,320 poly foam charts & 2,298 banners were displayed and 90 Anti Dengue/Malaria Day were celebrated.
Besides this, 40 lakh bulk SMSs were sent to make people aware about the menace of vector borne diseases. Awareness against vector borne diseases was also spread through online classes organized by SDMC schools. The Civic Body also intensified legal measures as 20, 372 legal notices and 2,639 challans issued in a year period.
Leader of House Narendra Chawla said that field staff, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, visited every household and public place for prevention of vector borne diseases in the SDMC area. During the year, a total of 41, 73, 769 house visits
were done by the field staff out of which 24,528 houses were found positive for breeding of mosquitoes. "Our staff even used PPE kits besides taking other precautionary measures when found mosquito breeding in houses/areas where Covid-19 cases were reported", Chawla said.
