VIJAYAWADA: Amid a 27.9 per cent surge in malaria cases across Andhra Pradesh, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has directed officials to establish an automated early warning and case-threshold alert system across all administrative levels to enable instant outbreak containment.
Reviewing seasonal disease surveillance on Sunday, the Minister said strengthening real-time case reporting is critical for taking proactive field measures before localised spikes escalate into widespread outbreaks.
Under the proposed mechanism, automated alerts will trigger across health department tiers whenever disease counts cross baseline safety limits in any district or mandal.
According to official health department data, Andhra Pradesh recorded 7,895 malaria cases as of August 30 this year, up from 6,172 cases reported during the corresponding period last year.
The surge is primarily concentrated in tribal and agency belts, including Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR), Polavaram, and Vizianagaram.
To halt vector transmission, the health department has launched the second phase of indoor residual spraying (IRS) across high-risk tribal stretches in ASR, Polavaram, Parvathipuram-Manyam, and Eluru districts, alongside initiating the distribution of 5,99,367 Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs).
In hard-to-reach agency pockets, specialised equipment and larvicidal fish are released in waters to eliminate breeding grounds.
Statewide dengue numbers have also shown a slight uptick of 4.6 per cent, reaching 1,475 cases compared to 1,410 cases during the same period last year.
YSR Kadapa and Chittoor districts registered significant surges, with cases climbing from 48 to 128 and 73 to 112, respectively.
Conversely, Kurnool and Anakapalli districts recorded a decline. In affected clusters, vector-control teams have been instructed to execute immediate fogging, contact spraying, and anti-larval operations around identified cases.
Simultaneously, health workers have been directed to maintain strict surveillance for Scrub Typhus, particularly in communities living near forest fringes.
Cases in ASR district rose from 13 to 44, while Parvathipuram-Manyam reported an increase from 15 to 47 cases this year, bringing the statewide total to 941.
The health department has also flagged a sharp rise in food and waterborne infections, particularly in Srikakulam district, where cases jumped from 34 last year to 408 this year, out of a statewide total of 930 cases.
Following the spike, sanitation teams have been tasked with testing drinking water sources, enforcing chlorination, and inspecting local food outlets.
Minister instructed the Health Department to coordinate with the Rural Development and Urban Development departments for clearing clogged drains, managing solid waste, and ensuring clean drinking water supply.
