Kathmandu, Sept 1 . The Ministry of Health and Population has said its lone efforts were inadequate to control dengue, which has now spread to more than 45 districts.
In the last fiscal year, a total of 3,834 persons were infected with the dengue, while in one and half month of this year alone, 1,537 persons have been detected. The disease is spread with the mosquito bite.
At the meeting of Education and Health Committee under the House of Representatives on Sunday, Minister of State for Health and Population, Dr Surendra Yadav, confirmed, “Efforts from Ministry are not sufficient to control dengue spread; so cooperation from all sides- government, general people, and other stakeholders- is imperative to prevent the disease.” He further warned that if the cooperation was not extended from all sides, the disease would become more alarming.
The Ministry is not able to stop the mobility of mosquitoes from southern plains to hills and to mountains, he shared the plight. He further said secretary and joint secretaries were transferred frequently, which has badly hampered the Ministry activities. Lack of human resources and budget has been serious constraints to execute works.
New Secretary at the Ministry Khagaraj Baral also said ‘search and destroy’ campaign must be continued to control dengue threat.
Similarly, Joint Secretary Dipendra Raman Singh, pointed out the need of making every household dutiful to control the spread of mosquito and the disease.
Chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr Bibek Kumar Lal and specialist doctor Ghanashyam Pokhrel also seconded the Minister of State that financial crunch was behind the failure to tame disease. The dengue was now spreading in the pace of wind, they made aware.
The Division however said the budget would not suffice to tame the disease because it spread even in the areas which the Division had not imagined.
Every State has been provided some Rs 9 million for the health sector.
The committee members underscored the need of massive public awareness and formulation of long term plan to control the disease.
