By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala has launched a major campaign to wipe out mosquitoes before the onset of monsoon with the help of Rs.480 million ($12 million) financial assistance from the central government, the state’s health minister said here Thursday.
“Our aim is to see that in the next few months, before the monsoon rains arrive, vector control should be in place,” state Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi said Thursday responding to fears expressed by public health experts of a third consecutive viral disease attack in two years in the state.
Around this time last year, chikunguniya disease had affected several districts in Kerala.
“We have received Rs.480 million from the National Rural Health Mission for vector control and also for a Clean Kerala campaign. The campaign has already begun with the help of local bodies,” Sreemathi said.
“We will soon initiate a state wide campaign with the help of college students and National Service Scheme volunteers who will begin a door to door campaign on the need for maintaining cleanliness,” she added.
The second unit of the National Institute of Virology would also be inaugurated in Alappuzha Feb 20.
“This was one of our demands when the state had its first chikunguniya outbreak in and around Alappuzha in 2006. The central government has accepted our demand and sanctioned Rs.206 million for setting up the unit,” Sreemathi said.
Speaking to reporters here, M.M. Gore, a top official of the Pune-based institute, said to begin with, the Alappuzha centre would have around seven staff to conduct research work in the field of vector control.