While the monsoon brings joy across India, it also brings the annual scourge of diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya and leptospirosis. Sure enough, as infections are rising, various states are putting out directives about heightening vigil on stagnant water bodies and stocking up on test kits and medicines. This year, no sooner than Kerala seemed to come to grips with the latest threat of a nipah contagion was it hit by a shigella outbreak. The bacterium has infected at least 130 people in the state since March. At such a time, the state administration has proposed a preventive approach by putting together a regional map and timelines for seasonal outbreaks so that the healthcare apparatus can plan in advance. What’s stopping the whole country from adopting such a practice?
