PUB008-6

Public Health Protection

Introduction

The assignment’s key purpose is to focus on the public health impacts of dengue disease on the population of India. Dengue is caused by the four kinds of viruses (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4) and is said to be a viral infection that belongs to the family Flaviviridae. The viruses are generally transmitted through the infected bite of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes during the daytime that feeds both outdoors and indoors. The dengue mosquitoes increase in areas with reserved water that includes containers, water tanks, puddles, and old tires. Hence, the lack of consistent hygiene and habitual collection of garbage also contributes to the spread of this disease, as this leads to the spread of mosquitoes (Who.int, 2020).

Role of Current Health Protection in Protecting Indian Population from Dengue Disease in India

The government of India has taken several steps for the control and prevention of Dengue in the country. India’s government promotes the mission called ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’’ to solve the problems of waste management and sanitation in the country by assuring hygiene across the country (Swachhbharatmission.gov.in, 2020). The project’s key motive is to make sanitation facilities for all and make available every rural family with a toilet by 2019 (NDTV, 2020). The government believes that dengue prevention and control should be a concern for everyone (Pmindia.gov.in, 2020). In every Indian hospital, prevention and control of dengue with a picture in every state’s language has been posted for public awareness.

Fig 1- Do’s and Don’ts for Dengue Fever

Sources- (Shet and Kang, 2019)

However, the government had stepped forward for the prevention and control of dengue disease to protect India’s population. The Initiatives of the Indian Government for dengue has been discussed on the following grounds:

1. For the control and prevention of dengue, the government has developed a Long Term Action Plan in the country and was sent to states for implementation (Yasri and Wiwanitkit, 2018).
2. In every hospital in India, the national guidelines for dengue fever clinical management have been sent to the states for circulation (Researchgate, 2020).
3. Established hospitals of Sentinel Surveillance with support of laboratory for the facility of diagnostic augmentation for dengue in endemic states, all these are associated with Laboratories of 13 Apex Referral with advanced diagnostic facilities for the support of back up (India, 2020).
4. In order to maintain and consistency and standardization of diagnostic in these laboratories, ELISA, IgM, MAC test kits are made available by the National Institute of Virology, Pune; thus, the cost is bear by the Government of India (Iamat.org, 2020).
5. Dengue diagnosis is provided free of cost to the community in every state, wherein the government has announced a state-wise facility of diagnostic and test kits available in the respective states (Ganeshkumar et al., 2020).

Hence, on 16 May, a National Dengue Day is observed in India with the recommendation of the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to make awareness about dengue disease and to strengthen precautionary actions and awareness for the control of disease in the country prior to the season of transmission begins (Nhp.gov.in, 2020). Dengue is common all through the country. Thus, a maximum number of dengue cases in the year 2017 were reported from Tamilnadu, followed by Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Assam, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and other states (Gupta and Reddy, 2013). When the season for the spread of dengue disease kicked in, the health department and local bodies gear up to check any possible outbreak of the disease, whose virus increases during this period. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, started a special campaign against dengue on 1^st September 2019 by inspecting his house for heavy water to avoid the disease-carrying mosquitoes breeding. “10 Hafte, 10 Baje 10 Minute’’ is the dengue campaign started by Kejriwal in order to appeal to the residents of Delhi to give 10 minutes every Sunday from 1^st September to 15^th of November to make sure that there is no reserved water in the surroundings or houses to fight against the dengue disease (India Today, 2020).

Impact of Current Health Protection in Protecting Indian Population

Despite the fact that the Government of India had taken several steps and initiatives towards the control of dengue disease, it has been found that in the year 2019, the cases have been raised as compared to 2018.

Fig 2- States hit by Dengue in 2018 and 2019

However, it can be said that though the cases have been increased as compared to the previous years in particular states of India, the death rates have been decreased (Downtoearth.org.in, 2020). It is because of the advanced facilities that have been provided by the government concerning the protection of the Indian population.

Fig 3- Number of cases and deaths from 2012 to 2019

Sources- (India Today, 2020)

From the above graph, it is clear that the government initiative towards public health shows a great impact if focused particularly on the number of dengue cases and deaths of the country rather than the particular state (India Today, 2020). The above graph shows that the number of cases and deaths decreased compared to the previous years from 2012 to 2018.

Fig 4- The highest number of death cases in 2017

Sources-(India Today, 2020)

Moreover, the Indian government’s contribution towards the protection of the population had a huge impact as, for now, every citizen in India is conscious about the disease and its prevention and how to control them (Shet and Kang, 2019). Thus, the risk of severe infections of dengue is increasing on a daily basis, but the residents of India follow the prevention and control guidelines as precautionary measures set by the Government of India.

Conclusion

To conclude, it can be said that the best precaution to prevent and control the burden of dengue infection is to focus on three important steps, and they are prevention, treatment/ cure, and control. Hence, the mission, like Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative of the Government of India, has motivated the people to be concerned about sanitation in order to be free from pollution and deadly viruses like dengue. Thus, it can be said that people are much more aware of the prevention and control of infectious diseases like dengue.

References