5 died of dengue in Delhi-NCR, no chikungunya deaths: Govt

Dengue claimed five lives in Delhi -NCR this year, while no fatality were reported due to chikungunya which affected nearly 9,200 people in the national capital, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
"During 2016, four persons died due to dengue in Delhi and one in Ghaziabad while no death due to chikungunya has been reported in Delhi-NCR till November 13.
"The number of confirmed cases for dengue and chikungunya in Delhi during the same period stands at 3,913 and 9,192 respectively," Union Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said in a written reply to a question in the Upper House of Parliament.

In the National Capital Region, he said, "Ghaziabad recorded 448 cases of dengue and 795 of chikungunya".
"Faridabad, Gurgaon and Gautam Budh Nagar recorded 107, 85 and 11 dengue cases respectively till November 13 while the three cities reported 258, 31 and 45 cases of chikungunya respectively," the reply said.
According to the government, "15,867 cases and 60 deaths due to dengue were reported in Delhi in 2015, while 995 cases and three deaths in 2014 and 5,574 cases and six deaths were recorded in 2013."

"The number of chikungunya cases in Delhi in 2015 was 64, 8 in 2014 and 18 in 2013. Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Gautam Budh Nagar did not record any chikungunya cases from 2013-2015," the Minister added.

In a reply to a separate question, Kulaste said, "29 confirmed malaria cases were recorded in Delhi till September 30 this year, while 54 cases were reported in 2015, 98 in 2014 and 353 in 2013."
The minister said the reason for the vector-borne disease cases occurring in the region were unplanned urbanisation, shortage of regular water supply and other civic amenities, heavy rainfall, among others.
He said technical guidelines for prevention and control, clinical management and vector control have been issued to states and UTs while periodic reviews have taken place.
Since January 2016, 22 review meetings at the levels of minister, secretary and others were held.

Kulaste said since January, 12 advisories have been issued at the levels of Secretary (H&FW) and additional secretary while states were requested to declare dengue as notifiable disease.
He said dengue and chikungunya diagnosis is provided through 542 Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals (SSHs) and 15 Apex Referral laboratories (ARLs) identified across the country.
"First version draft of 'Strategy and Plan of action for Effective Community Participation for Prevention and Control of Dengue' has been uploaded. A user friendly App 'India Fights Dengue' has been launched while National Dengue Day has been observed on May 16, 2016 throughout the country," he said.