THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prevention of contagious diseases and waste management are mutually complementary, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday.
“The government is not ready for a compromise on public health. People should have social responsibility and cooperate with the government in programmes for improving public health,” he said. The chief minister was speaking after inaugurating the third edition of Arogya Jagratha 2020 programme by the Health Department for prevention and control of contagious diseases. The programme is to implement foolproof prevention programmes against diseases.
“In the last two years, the programme could make good result. The mortality rate of contagious diseases saw a significant fall. The pre-monsoon sanitation drive has been expanded this year,” Pinarayi said.
Continuous awareness programmes are necessary for disease prevention, he said. The programme aims at year-long awareness programmes. The Arogya Jagratha gains significance this year in the backdrop of climate change and global warming.
People’s representatives from ministers to ward members are involved in the programme. The LSG department is in charge of programmes for preventing lifestyle diseases and waste management solution. The government aims eradication of contagious diseases by 2025.
The chief minister observed that people have responded positively to the plastic ban.
Health Minister K K Shailaja said the department has devised a calendar for continuous programmes for disease prevention.
Water Resources Minister K Krishnankutty, Forest Minister K Raju, V K Prasanth MLA, Mayor V K Sreekumar, Health Principal Secretary Rajan Khobragade, NHM state mission director Ratan Kelkar and Collector K Gopalakrishnan attended the programme.