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Health dept conducts review meeting after spike in vector-borne disease cases
The review meeting was held by the restructured state-level committee for prevention and control of communicable diseases under the instructions of health minister Tanaji Sawant
Following a surge in water-borne and vector-borne disease cases, the public health department on Wednesday conducted a review meeting to discuss the prevention and control of vector-borne, water-borne and zoonotic diseases as well as coordination between various departments, officials said.
The review meeting was held by the restructured state-level committee for prevention and control of communicable diseases under the instructions of health minister Tanaji Sawant. Chaired by Milind Mhaiskar, additional chief secretary of the public health department, the review meeting was attended by other officials including Amgothu Sriranga Naik, commissioner of health services.
Officials from 32 different departments including urban development, rural development, housing, water supply and sanitation, medical education, education (secondary/higher secondary), women and child development, veterinary, and food and drug as well as the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune were present at the meeting. Emphasis was laid on participation of and coordination between all departments being necessary to prevent and control communicable diseases. During the meeting, the role and tasks of each department were clarified.
Dr Radhakishan Pawar, joint director of health services, informed that each department was briefed on the actions needed to be taken in coordination with other departments. “The current situation of infectious diseases in the state was reviewed and working methods and objectives of the committee were highlighted,” Dr Pawar said.
“The meeting analysed the state’s epidemic situation, the causes of outbreaks, and the preventive and control measures to be implemented. Instructions were given to study the current epidemic control system in the state and suggest necessary changes, compare the epidemic situation with neighbouring states, and address inter-state coordination issues,” Dr Pawar said.
Health commissioner Naik suggested the need for bylaws for urban areas whereas additional chief secretary Mhaiskar instructed everyone to remain vigilant in light of the upcoming festive season and assembly elections, stressing the importance of public awareness to prevent panic over diseases.
Mhaiskar further noted that Maharashtra’s geographical diversity, industrialisation, urbanisation, and climate change have led to an increase in infectious diseases. Along with Covid-19, diseases like Malaria, Dengue, Zika, Influenza, Hepatitis, Cholera, Typhoid, acute Gastroenteritis, Scrub Typhus, Hepatitis A and E, Leptospirosis, Chandipura and others are continuing to emerge. Traditional diseases such as Measles, Mumps, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Rabies and Pertussis, along with new diseases like Ebola, KFD, Nipah and Zika are also posing challenges. Therefore, providing clear guidelines to the relevant departments is essential. This high-level meeting was important from that perspective, Mhaiskar said.
The state-level committee also focused on ensuring alignment with the state and central guidelines, defining the roles of various departments in epidemic prevention and reviewing the actions taken by the state-level animal disease committees.
This year, Maharashtra reported an over two-fold increase in water-borne disease cases vis-à-vis last year. Till August this year, Maharashtra reported 2,237 cases of Cholera, Jaundice, Gastroenteritis and Diarrhoea. Additionally, 10 deaths were reported till the end of August. During the same period last year, 1,213 cases and one death were reported. This year, the state reported 53 outbreaks of waterborne diseases as compared to 19 in 2023.
Furthermore, Maharashtra reported four-fold rise in Chikungunya cases this year as compared to last year. Till August this year, the state reported 2,198 cases of Chikungunya as compared to 497 till August last year. Similarly, 9,257 cases of Dengue and 17 deaths were reported this year as compared to 5,865 cases of Dengue and five deaths last year. This year, 128 cases of Zika virus were reported as compared to 18 cases last year.
