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Government gears up to fight water-borne diseases this year
Last Updated : 2010-07-13 12:17 AM
The Himalayan Times
Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Health Ministry has revitalized the central region Rapid Response Team (RRT) to take on any type of water-borne epidemic.
Pranay Kumar Upadhaya, senior public health officer at EDCD said a 15-member committee had been formed to immediately respond to any type of water-borne disease outbreak. He informed that a technical committee was also being formed with assistance from World Health Organisation (WHO) for the same purpose.
Earlier, the ministry had formed a 25-member high level coordination committee comprising representatives from line ministries to tackle any outbreak of water borne diseases as per the cabinet decision of June 16.
The cabinet had directed the Health Ministry to formulate appropriate legal provisions for controlling an outbreak and to mobilise the district disaster relief committee (DDRC) to deal with natural disasters.
While government records put last year’s — mid-April to mid-October — death toll due to water borne diseases at around 366, non-governmental organisations say 394 persons died during the same period. Around 60,000 were affected.
Insufficient mobilisation of health personnel, shortage of medicine and lack of awareness regarding health and sanitation were the main reasons for the large number of deaths last year.
Although we have not recorded any epidemic, the possibility that the number of patients will increase is very much there, said Upadhaya adding that the number of patients could go up in the months of July, August and Septemberhttp://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fu...+water-borne+diseases+this+year&NewsID=249561
Last Updated : 2010-07-13 12:17 AM
The Himalayan Times
Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Health Ministry has revitalized the central region Rapid Response Team (RRT) to take on any type of water-borne epidemic.
Pranay Kumar Upadhaya, senior public health officer at EDCD said a 15-member committee had been formed to immediately respond to any type of water-borne disease outbreak. He informed that a technical committee was also being formed with assistance from World Health Organisation (WHO) for the same purpose.
Earlier, the ministry had formed a 25-member high level coordination committee comprising representatives from line ministries to tackle any outbreak of water borne diseases as per the cabinet decision of June 16.
The cabinet had directed the Health Ministry to formulate appropriate legal provisions for controlling an outbreak and to mobilise the district disaster relief committee (DDRC) to deal with natural disasters.
While government records put last year’s — mid-April to mid-October — death toll due to water borne diseases at around 366, non-governmental organisations say 394 persons died during the same period. Around 60,000 were affected.
Insufficient mobilisation of health personnel, shortage of medicine and lack of awareness regarding health and sanitation were the main reasons for the large number of deaths last year.
Although we have not recorded any epidemic, the possibility that the number of patients will increase is very much there, said Upadhaya adding that the number of patients could go up in the months of July, August and Septemberhttp://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fu...+water-borne+diseases+this+year&NewsID=249561