People not doing enough to control dengue in Dimapur, says DVBD Consultant

DIMAPUR — As many as 25 dengue cases were reported in Dimapur over the past six days, taking the total cases registered from June to September 11, in three districts including Niuland and Chümoukedima, to 266.

The District Vector Borne Diseases (DVBD) consultant, Dr. Peter Sangtam, told Eastern Mirror that the highest number of dengue cases was reported in the month of August, while expressing hope that the number will decrease in September through community cooperation.

Pointing out that dengue can be controlled through community participation, he said, “Our main focus should be on controlling the vector, and for this, cleanliness is the most important aspect.”

Disappointingly, the community participation and efforts to minimise the vector is ‘very low’, lamented Sangtam, while underscoring how simple measures like keeping the surroundings clean and dry can help reduce dengue cases. 

“The success of dengue control is interconnected to community participation, so we have been undergoing home-to-home inspections and creating awareness as community participation is poor. So, through this effort of home-to-home visitation, we are expecting a fruitful result, and hopefully, by the end of September, the numbers will decrease,” the consultant shared.

He said that the responsibility of preventing and controlling the outbreak of such disease falls on the shoulders of the community; people must take preventive measures like doing away with mosquito breeding grounds to curb the spread of the disease.

The official went on to inform that dengue cases were reported till the first week of December in 2022 but the number is much lower compared to this year.

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