Ranchi, October 30: The Jharkhand Health Department held a five-day review meeting and orientation programme on vector-borne disease control from October 26 to 30 at the Institute of Public Health in Namkum, Ranchi. The meeting was chaired by Shashi Prakash Jha, Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Jharkhand.
Organised in accordance with the Government of India’s guidelines, the programme aimed to strengthen vector-borne disease control activities and accelerate efforts to eliminate malaria, filariasis, dengue, chikungunya, kala-azar and Japanese encephalitis in the state.
District Vector-Borne Disease Officers, district VBD consultants, Malaria Technical Supervisors, Kala-azar Technical Supervisors, Malaria Inspectors, Financial and Logistic Assistants, and Data Entry Operators from all districts participated in the programme.
The review focused on challenges in implementing disease control measures across Jharkhand. Participants discussed the need to identify suspected cases of all vector-borne diseases, ensure early diagnosis and provide complete treatment to patients.
Addressing the participants, Mission Director Shashi Prakash Jha stressed the importance of effective implementation of disease control activities down to the village level. He urged departmental officials and field staff to perform their duties with dedication and sincerity while maintaining better coordination.
He also highlighted the need for timely diagnosis, treatment and regular follow-up of patients, along with the prompt payment of incentives to Sahiyas, or community health workers.
State Programme Officer Dr Ranjit Prasad said prevention was better than cure in controlling vector-borne diseases. He emphasised that infected patients should sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent further transmission. He said mosquito nets should subsequently be provided to their family members, followed by wider coverage across the community.
Dr Prasad also directed all districts to ensure timely treatment of patients identified in the early stages of filariasis to prevent the disease from progressing. He instructed districts to organise hydrocele surgery camps by scheduling two days every week so that patients could receive timely surgical treatment.
Dr Rahul Kishore Singh, State Nodal Officer for Information, Education and Communication (IEC), explained that malaria is a serious disease transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
He advised people to take precautions against mosquito bites and maintain cleanliness in their surroundings. He also urged residents to use insecticide-treated mosquito nets regularly while sleeping and wear full-sleeved shirts, long trousers and socks, particularly during the evening and night.
State-level officials, consultants, Malaria Inspectors and representatives of partner organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Piramal Foundation and CINI, also attended the programme.
The meeting concluded with a call to strengthen coordination among departments, improve implementation at the field level and ensure effective prevention, early diagnosis and complete treatment of vector-borne diseases across Jharkhand.