Advocacy meeting on prevention and control of vector borne diseases

IMPHAL, March 26: An advocacy meeting for media personnel of the state on prevention and control of vector borne diseases was organized under the aegis of the Manipur State Vector Borne Diseases today at the conference hall of the Manipur Voluntary Health Association at Ningthem Pukhri Mapal.

Dr A Ibochouba Singh delivered his speech on the topic titled NVBDCP: Scenario, National objectives and strategies of the program besides rendering a briefing on vector-borne diseases which are infections transmitted by the bite of infected arthropod species, such as mosquitoes.

He highlighted the vector-borne diseases which are Kala-azar, Dengue, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Felaria covered by Vector-borne diseases control program and through the slide show and elaborated them.

He also elaborated on strategies for prevention and control which include early detection and prompt treatment, integrated vector management, communication for behaviour change, malaria prevention and control, LLIN (long lasting insecticidal nets), insecticide treatment of community own bed nets, rapid diagnostic test (RDT)  especially in remote area where blood smear result cannot be obtained on time, artemisnin combination therapy (ACT) for detection, sentinel surveillance laboratory sites for Japanese encephalitis (JE) at JN hospital and RIMS and JE vaccination initially in 5 districs of the state and introduction in routine immunisation.

Dr. A Ibochouba Singh maintained that people’s behavioural change could help prevent and eliminate vector borne-diseases and the media could help bring about the behavioural change.

He went on to say about dengue that outbreak of dengue occurred in Manipur in 2007. Dengue was first detected in Moreh, a border town in Chandel district but shortly after detection it was controlled. Of 275 suspected cases of which sample was collected 51 were confirmed but death caused by dengue was reported.

T Kamini Singh made his speech on mosquito morphology vector bionomics  and integrated vector management.