Call for running a ‘mosquito search and destroy’ campaign

This image depicts an adult female Aedes aegypti mosquito feeding on a human subject with darker skin tone.

Kathmandu: The Ministry of Health and Population has urged all government offices to run a ‘mosquito search and destroy’ campaign.

Spokesperson at the Ministry, Prakash Budhathoki, said that the ministry has urged all government and non-government organizations as well as hospitals to maintain cleanliness in and around their premises every Friday in view of the rise in dengue cases.

Last year too, the Ministry of Health had directed to launch a campaign in view of the rise in dengue cases. The Ministry has also directed to conduct vigilance and awareness programmes about dengue infection in their respective offices.

Spokesperson Budhathoki shared that the government would bear the medical expenses of dengue patients at the government hospitals. The Ministry has urged the government hospitals to manage the treatment of dengue infected people and directed to set up a ‘dengue desk’ on the hospital premises and appoint a contact person.

Budhathoki stressed the need of cooperation from all province and local level governments as dengue infection could not be controlled only with the efforts of the health sector. This year, 2,365 people from 73 districts have been infected with dengue and one has died so far.