Punjab sharpens dengue strategy, bets on community-led surveillance

Chandigarh: With summer approaching and the annual spike in vector-borne diseases not far behind, Punjab has moved to tighten its dengue prevention strategy, placing communities at the centre of its response.

The state health department has expanded its campaign beyond routine fogging and larvicidal measures, adopting a broader “One Health” approach that links human, animal and environmental factors. Officials say the focus this year is on sustained local surveillance rather than reactive containment.

Schools, transport hubs and densely populated neighbourhoods have been identified as priority zones. Local bodies have been tasked with eliminating stagnant water sources, while field teams are being deployed to monitor breeding sites in both urban and rural pockets. The use of larvivorous fish in water bodies is also being scaled up in select districts.

Data from the past few years appears to have informed this shift. Dengue cases in the state have declined significantly from over 23,000 in 2021 to under 5,000 in 2025, with a corresponding drop in fatalities. Health officials attribute this to improved tracking systems and early intervention, though they caution against complacency.

What marks a departure this year is the emphasis on real-time reporting and decentralised action. The state is strengthening its disease surveillance network, enabling quicker identification of clusters and faster response at the local level. Village committees and urban resident groups are being encouraged to report potential breeding sites, signalling a move towards shared responsibility.

Public health experts note that such integration is necessary in states like Punjab, where rapid urbanisation and changing climate patterns have altered disease dynamics. The challenge, they say, lies in maintaining vigilance beyond peak season and ensuring coordination across departments.

For now, the administration appears to be betting on a simple premise: that sustained community participation, backed by data-driven monitoring, can keep dengue in check before it escalates into a seasonal crisis.