KATHMANDU, JUNE 26
With the monsoon raising the risk of dengue transmission, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has announced a large-scale community mobilisation campaign. A total of 1,650 trained personnel will fan out across all 32 wards to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites.
The metropolitan's Health Department said the campaign will roll out in phases beginning this month, following capacity-building training for health workers and health promotion centre chiefs. These trained personnel will then instruct around 50 community representatives in each ward before initiating a ward-level larva search and destruction drive.
The training targets female community health volunteers, local youth clubs, mothers' groups, neighbourhood improvement committees, and other community-based organisations. After completing the orientation, participants will be assigned specific areas within their wards to identify and eliminate breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes-the primary vector for dengue transmission.
Health officials stress that early intervention is critical, as dengue infections typically begin rising from mid-July to mid-August and peak during October-November. They expressed confidence that timely preventive measures could significantly reduce infections compared to previous years.
Dengue symptoms typically appear four to seven days after an infected mosquito bite and include high fever lasting up to a week, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, fatigue, and loss of appetite. A red skin rash may develop three to five days after fever onset. Health authorities have advised people experiencing these symptoms to seek medical attention promptly.
"Success in controlling dengue depends on the responsibility of every individual and every household," said Deepak Kumar KC, chief of the KMC Health Department, during the training programme.
The campaign aligns with the national strategy to reduce dengue infections and related deaths through strengthened surveillance, vector control, risk communication, community participation, health system preparedness, multi-sectoral coordination, and research.
Officials from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division and the Kathmandu Health Office briefed participants on national targets and control strategies during the capacity-building programme.
Rishi Prasad Bhusal, focal person for the epidemic disease prevention and control programme, said the metropolitan aims to strengthen this year's response by incorporating lessons learned from previous outbreaks.
"We are working to take dengue prevention efforts directly to every household by engaging communities and increasing public awareness," he said.
Health authorities have urged residents to eliminate stagnant clean water from their surroundings, warning that Aedes mosquitoes breed in clean, standing water. Common breeding sites include flower pots, discarded tyres, water storage containers, rooftop drains, balconies, roadside puddles, and other places where rainwater collects.
Officials stressed that increased rainfall during the monsoon creates favourable conditions for mosquito larvae development, making household vigilance essential.
