Dengue awareness drive to begin from tomorrow

Kathmandu, July 16: The Ministry of Health and Population here today declared that upcoming Nepali month of Shrawan will be observed as the Dengue Awareness Drive.     

Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel made the announcement about the campaign that will officially begin from tomorrow.     

"Since the dengue cases surge and reaches its peak during the Shrawan, the month has been declared as the Dengue Awareness Drive to spread awareness about the mosquito-borne infection from the beginning," said Minister Paudel.     

Additionally, the 'Search and Destroy' campaign will be launched every Friday at 10:00 AM from Nepali month of Shrawan to end of Kartik (mid-November) considering the higher risk of dengue during this period.     

"Shrawan month usually reports highest infection rate. If precaution is observed, the infection can be reduced. The campaign is launched to control the potential risk," explained Minister Paudel.     

Stating that dengue infection cannot be reduced by the government's sole effort, the Minister called for collaborative efforts to minimize the risk on the infection.     

Secretary at the Ministry, Dr Bikash Devkota, urged everyone to adopt measures to prevent water from accumulating in their surroundings, especially with the heavy rainfall during the Shrawan month.     

He believed that if the 'Search and Destroy' campaign is effectively launched in every offices and neighbourhood from Shrawan to Kartik month, it would significantly reduce the threat of dengue.(RSS)