Staff Reporter
Panaji
The first quarter of the new year has seen a decline in the number of confirmed dengue cases, with only 23 cases being reported as against 76 cases during the corresponding period last year.
The month of March saw seven confirmed cases, of which five were reported in North Goa while two were in South Goa. Last year, there were 21 cases in March.
“In the first three months, we have focused on the high-risk areas like migrant settlements and rented population where we had found cases last year due to unsafe water storage practices,” said Dr Kalpana Mahatme, State Programme Officer and Deputy Director of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
She said that now that the state has received pre-monsoon showers, the focus has to be on house to house visits, mainly in places which reported cases last year.
“During these visits, all the potential breeding receptacles like coconut shells, tyres, broken bottles and containers, etc have to be cleared to prevent mosquito breeding,” she said, adding that each health centre will have to map areas where there was an upsurge in cases.
Dr Mahatme said that they are contemplating roping in local bodies, panchayats as well as municipal councils to conduct source reduction drives to clear the potential breeding receptacles that could lead to stagnation of water, which in turn may result in mosquito breeding.
“Secondly, we want our health educators and IEC supervisors to focus on educating people on the warning signs of dengue. This will prevent cases as well as deaths,” she said.
