The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will run an awareness campaign using mobile vans and SMS to update residents in its areas about prevention and containment of dengue.
"In order to curb the menace of vector-borne diseases three things are necessary--prevention, curative action and awareness.
"We will launch a massive awareness campaign in NDMC areas through media, SMS and by deploying mobile vans to educate the residents about these diseases," NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar said here today.
Kumar was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of an interactive session for prevention and containment of vector-borne diseases with school teachers and principals.
The one-day session was organised by NDMC's Health Department to sensitise students of government and private schools and colleges in the civic body's area.
"During the session, the experts apprised the gathering about the symptoms and preventive measures to be taken and about the breeding habit and life-cycle of Aedes mosquito," NDMC spokesperson Jagjivan Bakshi said.
"The experts also said that efforts should be made to control mosquito breeding as dengue and chikungunia cannot be eliminated, these are life threatening too and prevention of these diseases is easier than cure," he added.
Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles.
Doctors say treatment is symptomatic with no specific cure, so if patients use pain medicines indiscriminately there is a risk of becoming resistant to these.
The move comes after a municipal report said that nearly 30 cases of dengue have been reported till last week this year, the highest number for the period in the last six years.
According to the report, the number of cases during January 1 till July 18 for the earlier five years were - 16 (2014), 14 (2013), 8 (2012), 11 (2011), 28 (2010).
Of the total number of cases in 2015, 12 have been reported in July only.
In Delhi out of the total 29 cases, the maximum number of them was reported from north Delhi, at 10, while east Delhi recorded the lowest number with six cases.
