Until recently, health officials believed that the Mumbai model must be adopted to tackle dengue. In Mumbai, the municipality receives the blue print for a building, and health officials must clear it before the structure is built.
The health officials survey the construction periodically and ensure that it conforms to the mandatory sanitary conditions to prevent the spread of diseases. But the outbreak of dengue last month in high-rise buildings of Mumbai underscored the need for aggressive measures.
State health officials said their work on the field helped to prevent the 2012-type situation. “The continuous campaign immediately after the rain has helped. We highlighted the fact that the use of mosquito repellents at night might not help much as Aedes aegypti, which spreads dengue, is a day-biter and breeds in freshwater. Ninety per cent of the mosquito breeding site is in and around houses or establishments. The campaign seems to have worked so far,” he said.
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For sometime now, public health activists have been suggesting that the State adopt low-cost methods.
S. Elango, president of the Indian Public Health Association, Tamil Nadu branch, says Cuba follows a housekeeping day every week, during which everyone, from the highest-ranking official to children, participates in the cleaning effort. “Cuba set up special dengue clinics, and mass advertisements were issued during dengue seasons. There were endemic areas where the propaganda was aggressive. The special clinic was run for three months and all cases were managed in the clinic to reduce the hospital load. Soon there was a total reduction in dengue cases. That model could be replicated here,” he said.