Administration to involve corporate houses in awareness drive

In its bid to tackle various diseases, Ganjam district administration in Odisha has decided to involve corporate houses in the awareness drive about vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

"We will ask corporate houses, including the central government's Odisha Sands Complex of Indian Rare Earths Limited, to adopt at least one block to create awareness and take necessary steps in anti-dengue and chikungunya drive," District Malaria officer Uma Shankar Mishra said here today.

"We hope the corporate houses will come forward to take part in the drive as part of their corporate social responsibility," he said.

"It will also help corporate houses to sensitise their own employees in the anti-dengue measures as the areas near the industries are more of a breeding ground of mosquitoes," Mishra said.

The administration has also decided to continue the drive against malaria, dengue and diarrhoea for three months from July to September by involving school students and campaigners, district officials said.
In the last two years, the drive was only limited for a fortnight from August 1 to 15.

In 2013,143 cases of dengue were reported in the district while in 2012, 533 dengue cases came to the fore, officials said. Similarly, 23 and five cases of chikungunya were reported in the district in 2012 and 2013 respectively, sources said.

"People should take steps to prevent water stagnation in their homes and elsewhere," chief district medical officer (Ganjam) Niranjan Behera said.