Health department observes World Mosquito Day with intensive vector-control drives across Keralam
The Kerala Health Department observed World Mosquito Day by launching intensive vector-control drives to combat diseases like dengue and chikungunya. Officials emphasized the need for community cooperation to eliminate breeding grounds, noting that human activity significantly contributes to mosquito population growth.
Why it matters
Vector-borne diseases remain a persistent public health challenge in Kerala, and this initiative underscores the importance of environmental management in disease prevention.
The Keralam Health department observed World Mosquito Day on Thursday (August 20, 2026) with a renewed call to launch awareness programmes and intensive control measures to check mosquito population in the State.
It has called upon households, institutions and the community to work together to eliminate mosquito-breeding sources so that the State has a better grip on the vector-borne diseases that affect a significant proportion of the population every year.
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan inaugurated the World Mosquito Day observance on Thursday (August 20, 2026) at Vattiyurkavu, his constituency, which has become one of the major hotspots for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya in the district this season.
Despite extensive surveillance and vector-control machinery, mosquito-borne diseases remain stubbornly entrenched in the State.
Though the State reports several mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, filariasis, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis and chikungunya, the challenge is particularly acute with dengue.
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