BENGALURU: Karnataka’s Disease Surveillance Dashboard and PRISM-H App, launched in 2023, to manage disease control, have failed to manage the state’s dengue crisis, which was recently declared as an epidemic, after the number of dengue cases crossed 25,500 statewide.
The app provides a four-week predictive risk maps of the outbreak at district and sub-district levels across Karnataka, and tracks case trends over the years. Despite its potential, experts mentioned that the app was under-utilised, and beyond the source reduction activity, very little was done before or during the monsoon season to combat the outbreak.
In addition to the predictions, through the app -- data from multiple sources is being standardised and streamlined for improved analysis. Experts argue that the health campaigns and measures could have been tailored and intensified in vulnerable areas identified by the app.
An official from the health department mentioned that they have been using the app to identify mosquito breeding spots, and survey households. Apart from this, all measures including distributing ovi-traps - which attract and eliminate Aedes mosquitoes, were distributed, and beds for the patients across the city were reserved.
Experts, however, countered that while these actions were taken, they were executed too late to be fully effective. They said that dengue is not a new disease, and its patterns are well-known, suggesting that early intervention could have prevented the outbreak.
Sources from Bowring Hospital, on the condition of anonymity, explained that the outbreak should have been identified by analysing previous year’s situation, and measures should have been implemented in those areas before the onset of monsoon.
Highlighting the operational guidelines for prevention and control of Aedes mosquitoes, the official mentioned that, to prevent vector breeding, tree holes in the surroundings, especially in the hospital premises should have been filled with sand during monsoon. Besides, insect growth regulators (IGRs) could have been used to interfere with mosquito larvae, preventing them from maturing into adults.