Punjab E News (April 3): 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.
During the meeting Dr Balbir Singh also voiced concerns over water-borne diseases, directing the Local Government and Water Supply departments to ensure 100% chlorination of drinking water and regular sampling, especially in identified hotspots, to prevent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, E, diaohrria and Cholera.
Raising conerns over the recent outbreak of Leptospirosis at the Hazara Singh Wala village in district Ferozepur, Dr Balbir Singh stated that he along with the Deputy Commissioner will visit the village to rectify the causes of the outbreak and will form model SOPs in such cases to counter any such disease outbreak in Punjab.
Finance and Transport Minister Harpal Singh Cheema assured that the Finance Department would provide all necessary support to maintain this downward trend and emphasized that the all Punjab Roadways and PRTC workshops have been directed to ensure the timely disposal of discarded tyres and broken vehicle parts, which are notorious breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito. He concluded by urging all stakeholders to maintain this momentum to ensure a disease-free Punjab in 2026.
Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Kumar Rahul, Member Punjab Development Commission Anurag Kundu, MD PHSC Amit Talwar, Secretary Local Government Manjit Singh Brar, Director Health and Family Welfare Dr Hitinder Kaur, Director Health Services (Family Welfare) Dr Aditi Salaria, Director (ESI) Dr Anil Kumar Goyal, Deputy Director Dr Manju Bansal , Assistant Director Dr Manmeet Kaur, State Program Officer NVBDCP Dr Arshdeep Kaur, Dr Prabhleen Kaur and other Officials from the stakeholder departments were present during the meeting.
