Reported by Manoj Kumar Ojha
Doomdooma: Amid the rising number of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in Assam, the Tinsukia district administration on Thursday launched an intensified district-wide strategy to prevent the spread of Japanese Encephalitis, dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
The initiative comes as Assam’s JE death toll rose to 15 after five more fatalities were reported on Wednesday, while the combined death toll from Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) reached 60 this year.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Tinsukia District Task Force on Vector-Borne Diseases, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Sumit Sattawan at the District Commissioner’s Conference Hall.
The meeting was attended by Joint Director of Health Services Minakshi Hazarika, medical officers from all block primary health centres, representatives of all municipal boards and town committees, the Zilla Parishad, the Public Health Engineering Department, the Social Welfare Department and other line departments.
Reviewing the disease situation, the Deputy Commissioner directed all concerned departments to intensify public awareness campaigns across the district, particularly in vulnerable areas. He instructed civic bodies to carry out regular fogging operations and spray Temephos in drains and stagnant water bodies to eliminate mosquito larvae.
Departments were also asked to identify and remove mosquito breeding sites through coordinated field action.
Sattawan urged residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and remove all forms of water accumulation inside their homes, offices and surrounding premises.
He also advised individuals arriving from other states who develop symptoms such as fever or severe headache to undergo blood tests and contact the Health Department without delay.
The Deputy Commissioner said that a coordinated effort involving the public, the Health Department and other stakeholder agencies would be essential to contain Japanese Encephalitis, dengue, malaria and other vector-borne diseases.