Hospital readiness, community engagement key to dengue preparedness: Nadda

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Monday urged the NCR states to reassess their preparedness to tackle dengue, particularly in light of the prolonged rainy season and waterlogging in certain areas.

Chairing a review meeting on dengue preparedness in Delhi-NCR, Nadda called for ''Jan Chetna through Jan Bhagidari'' as he emphasised the community's role in dengue control.

Hospital readiness, inter-sectoral coordination and community engagement are key to dengue preparedness, Nadda said.

At the meeting, the concerned states were advised to intensify vector control, and strengthen surveillance and rapid response in Delhi-NCR.

The meeting was attended by Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, AIIMS Delhi Director M Srinivas, Raja Iqbal Singh, Mayor, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and Sunita Dayal, Mayor, Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad, along with other senior health officials and hospital representatives from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The meeting was convened to undertake a comprehensive review of the epidemiological situation, preparedness of municipal bodies, hospitals and state governments, and to identify the gaps in surveillance, case management and vector control.

Special emphasis was laid on addressing the challenges arising from excessive rainfall, prolonged monsoon, and on galvanising inter-sectoral coordination between Central, state and local authorities, a health ministry statement said.

A presentation briefed Nadda on the nationwide dengue situation and preparedness of the country.

In 2024, 2,33,519 dengue cases and 297 deaths were reported from across the country. In 2025 (till August 31), 49,573 cases and 42 deaths have been reported, the statement said.

In Delhi, 964 cases have been reported till August 31 as compared to 1,215 cases reported in the corresponding period of last year, it said. In the other NCR states, 1,646 cases have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, 298 from Haryana and 1,181 from Rajasthan, the statement said.

Nadda noted that while the incidence of dengue cases is currently low, the states should remain vigilant against a potential a spike in the number of cases.

He also urged them to reassess their preparedness, particularly in light of the prolonged rainy season and waterlogging in certain areas.

The states should proactively anticipate and prepare for any potential epidemics by clearly demonstrating their readiness, he said.

Emphasising the importance of an aggressive IEC campaign, Nadda encouraged the adoption of innovative strategies to foster dengue awareness among the community, such as conducting special drives in schools, labour camps, and the dengue-prone areas.

Highlighting the message of ''Jan Chetna'' through ''Jan Bhagidari'', the health minister called upon the states to actively engage the ward commissioners, elected representatives, and resident welfare associations (RWAs) in the awareness and prevention efforts.

He also pointed out several key action areas to strengthen dengue preparedness in Delhi-NCR.

To achieve the goals, Nadda emphasised intensifying vector control through source reduction, including the removal or treatment of rainfed containers once floodwaters recede, along with insecticide fogging in areas experiencing increased fever cases. Strengthening entomological surveillance to identify the hotspots and intensifying fever surveillance in all the affected areas were highlighted at the meeting.

Nadda also called for ensuring hospital readiness by maintaining dedicated wards, sufficient beds, blood components, drugs, and insecticides, and alerting Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals (SSHs) as well as other public and private hospitals.

Establishing a rapid response mechanism with rapid response teams on standby for immediate preventive action was also stressed.

Additionally, timely reporting of cases from all the hospitals, including private ones, coupled with daily district-level review meetings to track outbreaks and responses, was mandated.

Nadda also underscored the importance of reinforcing inter-sectoral coordination among the municipal bodies, railways, local government institutions, disaster management authorities, irrigation departments, NGOs, and state health departments to ensure effective sanitation and vector control drives.

Scaling up community engagement through IEC activities was also urged, especially during the upcoming ''Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan'', to facilitate transparent and timely communication of updates, promote preventive measures such as the use of mosquito nets and full-sleeved clothing, and leverage schools, RWAs, market associations, community leaders, SHGs, and youth clubs for awareness campaigns.

The meeting provided a consolidated assessment of dengue preparedness in Delhi-NCR, identified the immediate action points for prevention, outbreak response and vector management, and reviewed steps to enhance hospital preparedness and surveillance in light of the heightened risk during the ongoing season.

The meeting was also apprised of the National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Dengue, which is being implemented across the country, including Delhi-NCR, the statement said.

The strategy, known as the ''Octalogue'', rests on eight pillars -- surveillance, case management, vector management, outbreak response, capacity building, behaviour change communication, inter-sectoral coordination, and monitoring and supervision.

The meeting was also informed that the government of India has already taken several steps, including issuance of advisories, high-level reviews, training on case management, provision of free diagnostic facilities, community awareness drives, inter-ministerial coordination and financial support under the Nation Health Mission, to enhance dengue preparedness.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)