The Hindu : Campaign in Bangalore schools to prevent dengue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Campaign in Bangalore schools to prevent dengue

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE July 16. Soon many parents might find their daughter or son telling them, soon after returning from school, how to prevent dengue fever. It is because the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will soon start "practicals on dengue" in City schools. Health Department staff from the BMP, accompanied by doctors, will visit schools and educate children on the dos and don'ts of dengue fever. Besides, lectures on the viral fever and "practicals" that include demonstrations will be conducted for students. The students will be asked to go round the school premises and identify breeding spots of the aedes aegypti virus. The students will be shown the virus through the microscope and coaxed to spread the message "don't allow water to stagnate in your surroundings".

Initially, the "practical" classes would start off in 33 BMP schools within the next two days. Later, the 300 government schools and even private schools would be included in the programme, the BMP Chief Health Officer, Jayachandra Rao, told The Hindu on Wednesday. He said they were working out the programme in such a way that it won't affect the routine classes.

Dr. Rao and officers from the Directorate of Communicable Diseases and National Institute of Virology besides elected representatives met the Health Minister, Kagodu Thimmappa, on Wednesday and apprised him of the situation in the City.

The situation was alarming compared with last year. The number of cases had gone up by 40 per cent this year. The minister was reportedly informed that the situation was getting bad and needed immediate preventive measures.

Dr. Rao said a decision to launch an intensive awareness campaign in all 100 wards was taken at the meeting. Besides the area corporators and health inspectors, a 500-member team comprising auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), paramedical staff, shuchi mitras, NGOs, and NSS/Scouts volunteers would be involved in the campaign, he said. The Standing Committee on Health in the BMP was expected to meet on Thursday and draft the modalities of the campaign, he said.

A workshop for superintendents of various hospitals, a magic show for students and a jatha were also being planned. The magic show would be held on July 26 at the Hombegowdanagar High School in Wilson Garden, Dr. Rao said.

Although the dengue outbreak was reported in the City in January this year, the BMP Commissioner, M.R.Sreenivas Murthy, announced a fresh outbreak four days ago.

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