BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh accounts for 9.5% of all dengue cases reported across India this year, according to Union health ministry data till September. Even without counting the October surge, MP has already recorded its highest ever dengue count in any year – 5,690.
In sheer numbers and percentage, MP is third on the national list behind Uttar Pradesh (8,977, 14.9%) and Maharashtra (8,302,13.8%). If the unofficial figures of 11,000 dengue infections in October are considered, MP may have the unenvious tag of dengue capital of the country. To put it in perspective, in 2017, when dengue had touched an all-time high of over 1.88 lakh in India, MP’s share was 2,666, or around1.4%.
This year, it has swept through the state. Till July, there had been only 291 cases, according to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). The health department and state unit of NVBDCP were hoping for a repeat of 2020 when only 809 dengue cases were reported.
2,200 dengue cases were reported in Aug & Sept
But things quickly went downhill. With the onset of monsoon, 2,200 dengue cases were reported in August and September. The state government launched ‘Dengue se Jung-Janta Ke Sang’ campaign in mid-September, noting that more cases are being reported from Mandsaur, Jabalpur, Indore and Ratlam districts.
When NVBDCP sent its data to the Centre earlier this month, the true magnitude came to the fore. MP had added 5,399 dengue cases in around 60 days since August. The data for October is yet to be added. NVBDCP state representative Dr Himanshu Jayswar did not respond to calls.
Test kit allocation drops:
Only 4.2% of IgM test kits have been allocated to Madhya Pradesh in 2021. States like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have been given twice as many, according to tentative data by NVBDCP. Seroprevalence data is critical to generate reliable estimates of incidence of dengue. MP, with 7 crore population, got only 300 IgM kits whereas Chandigarh received 90 and Puducherry 150 test kits. TNN
