CHANDIGARH: In a decisive move to safeguard public health ahead of the high-transmission season, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh and Finance and Transport Minister Harpal Singh Cheema jointly chaired a high-level State Task Force meeting, to prepare a unified response against vector-borne, water-borne, and zoonotic diseases across the state.
Addressing a diverse assembly of stakeholder departments, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh emphasized that the battle against diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Chikanguniya, Rabies and Leptospirosis requires a "One Health" approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health strategies. He highlighted that the state has significantly bolstered its diagnostic infrastructure, now offering free ELISA testing for Dengue and Chikungunya at 47 Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals and extending Malaria RDT and Dengue testing to all Aam Aadmi Clinics.
While reviewing the departmental contributions, Dr Balbir Singh lauded the Health Department for its consistent efforts in reducing the Dengue burden from 23, 389 confirmed cases in 2021 to just 4, 981 in 2025, while related deaths dropped from 55 to just 8 in the same period. The Minister stated that the significant drop in mortality and morbidity is a testament to the department's proactive house-to-house surveillance and the strategic deployment of 15 million visits during the last transmission season.
The Health Minister issued a stern directive to all departments to ensure that the "Har Shukarvaar Dengue Te Vaar" campaign—running every Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM—becomes a mass movement involving students and teachers in identifying and eliminating breeding sites like stagnant water in coolers, flower pots, and overhead tanks. He noted with concern that while Dengue was once primarily an urban threat, nearly 42% of cases in 2025 were reported from rural areas, necessitating a shift in focus toward fogging, larvicidal spraying in village ponds and the release of Gambusia fish for mosquito control.
Furthering the agenda on zoonotic threats, the Health Minister discussed the National Rabies Control Programme, noting that while anti-rabies vaccines are now available across 746 government health facilities across the state, departments must expedite the creation of district-wise Animal Birth Control facilities to achieve 70% herd immunity in the dog population. He stressed that the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme is now utilizing the IHIP portal for real-time reporting of outbreaks, and he called upon the Indian Medical Association to ensure private practitioners immediately report all notifiable diseases to help the state take timely remedial actions.