Varanasi: A special communicable disease control campaign will be conducted across the district from July 1 to 31, while the Dastak campaign will run from July 11 to 31 to strengthen prevention and control of dengue, malaria, filaria and other vector-borne diseases.A meeting of the District Task Force was held at the Collectorate auditorium on Monday under the chairmanship of district magistrate Satyendra Kumar to review preparations for the campaign. Chief development officer Prakhar Kumar Singh, chief medical officer Dr Mukesh Kumar and other officials attended the meeting.The DM said the campaign would be implemented through coordinated efforts of the health department and other govt departments. He stressed the need for joint action to prevent dengue and other communicable diseases and directed departments to ensure cleanliness drives, anti-larval spraying, fogging, drain cleaning, pond maintenance, repair of faulty India Mark-2 handpumps and trimming of roadside vegetation.He also ordered special monitoring of high-risk rural and urban areas to control mosquito breeding and directed officials to focus on the creation of ABHA IDs.The municipal corporation and health officials were instructed to intensify cleaning operations at mosquito-prone locations, including ponds near the Mental Hospital, Police Line, Sarang Talab, Sona Talab and Kandwa Talab. Continuous sanitation work was also ordered in markets, particularly Pahadiya Mandi and other crowded areas.The district panchayat raj officer was directed to ensure anti-larval measures and sanitation in disease-sensitive rural areas, while awareness campaigns through public address systems will be carried out in both urban and rural regions.CMO Dr Mukesh Kumar said the campaign would focus on identifying patients showing symptoms of communicable diseases as well as TB, leprosy, kala-azar and filaria. Under the Dastak campaign, ASHA and Anganwadi workers will conduct door-to-door visits to spread awareness about disease prevention and early treatment.The health department will serve as the nodal agency, with support from the urban development, Panchayati Raj, animal husbandry, women and child development, education, divyangjan welfare, agriculture and irrigation departments. Officials said awareness activities will focus on preventive measures and appropriate action in cases of fever and other symptoms of infectious diseases.
