On May 16, 2025, coinciding with National Dengue Day, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) launched a citywide awareness campaign titled 'Check, Clean and Cover.' The campaign will make citizens aware of dengue control and prevention, stressing individual responsibility to get rid of the breeding sites for mosquitoes.

The campaign, which was coordinated by PMC's insect control division at all its 15 ward offices, included morning rallies where people raised the slogan of the campaign in an effort to create public awareness. Pamphlets and leaflets containing dengue symptoms, causes, and methods of prevention were also distributed among residents.

Dr. Rajesh Dighe, PMC Assistant Health Officer, emphasized the campaign's outreach component: "We placed numerous stickers with dengue prevention messages at vegetable markets, labor colonies, and bus stops. In certain areas, live demonstrations showcased guppy fish and mosquito breeding processes to educate citizens effectively."

To maximize community participation, private medical doctors were urged to report diagnosed cases of dengue to PMC in a timely manner. Citizens were instructed to change water in flowerpots, money plant pots, refrigerator trays, and coolers regularly. They were also instructed not to put plates under flowerpots and to keep unused containers, coconut shells, and tires away from terraces as these are water-holding objects and breeding sites. Tarpaulin or tin-roof households were warned to avoid water clogging. A weekly cleaning routine for all water containers was recommended to destroy mosquito eggs adhering to surfaces.^[1]

Dr. Nina Borade, PMC Health Chief, stressed the importance of preventive measures: "We recommend every home to take a 'dry day' weekly to wash and dry all water vessels. Because the Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue bites in the daytime, it's important that citizens dress in full sleeves, apply mosquito repellents, and rest and work under mosquito nets in daytime, and particularly for those sleeping or working indoors." This aggressive campaign by PMC is an all-round strategy to fight dengue by undertaking community involvement, education, and direct actions for eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Creating public awareness and participation, PMC has set out to reduce the risk of dengue outbreaks and ensure a cleaner environment for inhabitants of Pune.

References:

1. Community-based intervention to dengue prevention: Insights from urban residents in Pune, using the health belief model. Narendran, Meghana et al.Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, Volume 30, 101779

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sakshi Thakar/MSM)