SDMC goes the digital way to combat vector-borne diseases

Even as the civic bodies claim to have taken a series of steps to prevent vector-borne diseases, cases of dengue and malaria and chikungunya have been on the rise in the national Capital, with two more cases of dengue and chikungunya reported and cases of malaria rising to 67 with nine being reported between June 1 and 9.

As per the status report by South Delhi Municipal Corporation released on Monday, the number of dengue cases has reached 70. 25 of these cases were reported from outside Delhi. Cases of chikungunya stand at 135, even as authorities are gearing up to combat any outbreak of the vector-borne diseases.

In its bid to combat the menace, SDMC on Monday launched a new technologically advanced application called Vector-Borne Disease Control (VBDC) to cover 16 vulnerable wards identified on the basis of substantial breeding data localities.

"This will go a long way to develop a micro plan to completely eradicate the challenge of mosquitoes resulting in diseases like dengue and chikungunya. 200 dengue breeding checkers (DBC) have been given tablet PCs and uniform, so that they will easily be identified." An SDMC official said.

SDMC Commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel said that controlling the outbreak of vector-borne diseases during rainy season is a challenge.

"The new app and tablets will help develop a micro plan for the future and safeguard residents from the menace of mosquitoes. The DBCs have been collecting data in paper registers since 1996, but till date we did not develop any micro plan to cover every house on regular and fixed intervals. The DBCs will be able to maintain entire records in the tablets which could be check at any moment by the Corporation," Goel said.

SDMC Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat said that the role of DBCs and other employees in prevention and control of vector-borne diseases is crucial. With the life cycle of mosquitoes being seven days, checking breeding within this period will help in checking the vector-borne diseases.

"The new system will ensure proper monitoring, digitisation, paperless data collection, real-time monitoring of DBCs and proof collection for legal enforcement. The DBCs will also be able to upload photos of the sites of breeding," Sehrawat added.