To help manage the dengue outbreak, the Union Health Ministry has deployed central teams of experts in nine states and Union Territories. The teams will provide technical guidance, including public health measures.Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir are among the states and Union Territories registering a significant number of dengue cases.National Centre for Disease Control and National Vector Borne Disease Control Program officials are part of the expert teams.”It has been decided by the competent authority to depute central teams to the identified states to assist the state governments by providing technical guidance, including public health measures, for managing the ongoing outbreak of dengue,” read an office memorandum dispatched to principal secretaries (Health) and directors general of health services of the nine states and Union Territories.The government of India said in a press release: “The teams are tasked to assist and support states to mount an effective public health response. The teams have been asked to report on status of vector control, availability of kits and medicines, early detection, availability and use of insecticides, status of anti-larval and anti-adult vector control measures etc. They will also brief the State Health authorities about their observations.”During a review of the dengue situation in Delhi on Monday, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya directed the Union Health Secretary to identify and send teams of experts to states with a high active dengue caseload.There have been over 1,530 cases of dengue in Delhi so far this year, and more than 1,200 of those were reported in October alone, the highest number recorded for the month in the last four years. According to the government of India, “15 States/UTs are reporting their maximum cases in the current year; these states contribute 86% of the country’s total dengue cases till 31st October”.
