Visakhapatnam: Experts stress on steps to prevent spread of infectious diseases

Visakhapatnam: Acute public health threats are collectively managed as the best way to prevent international spread of diseases, detect public health events early and implement effective response actions when the problem is small, observed Anuradha Medoju, Senior Regional Director and Chief of Airport Health Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare here on Sunday.

At the 28th AP state joint conference of IPHA and IAPSM hosted by GIMSR Department of Community Medicine, she said that only about one-third of the countries in the world currently have the ability to assess, detect and respond to public health emergencies. She mentioned that the Global Health Security Agenda (GHS) provides a road map to help reach the initial goals set out by the International Health Regulations (IHR). The primary purpose of the IHR is to help prevent the international spread of infectious diseases while avoiding unnecessary interference with international travel and trade, she added.

World Health Organization -National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) - Technical Support Network (TSN) Consultant M Vignesh said that India has highest estimated burden of TB infection in the world and to control it, the government initiated Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) programme in the country. He advised that to create TB-free healthy villages the government should create healthy competition among panchayats in the country.

National Centre for Disease Control associated Centre for One Health Deputy Director Ajit D Shewale informed about the government initiatives on snake bite management. He said that in India, there are about 236 species of snakes, mostly non-poisonous and 15 varieties that are poisonous and four among them, namely the cobras, the Russell’s viper, the saw- scaled vipers and the kraits are the most common. To reduce the number of deaths and cases of disability associated with snakebite envenoming by 50 per cent in India by 2030, training of health professionals and paramedics on initial management, referral and life support skills are the need of the hour, he added.

GIMSR Dean SP Rao, conference organising secretary NG Nagamani, joint secretary G Chaitanya and Indian Public Health Association president Appala Naidu were among others who participated in the programme.