India CSR News Network

NEW DELHI: The Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are a group of communicable diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and other vectors. People suffer from a significant disease burden from these diseases in local and focal areas of India, which is reflected in the form of morbidity and mortality from Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Kala-azar and Lymphatic filariasis. The epidemiology of these vector borne diseases varies considerably on account of ecology, vector bionomics, economic, socio-cultural and behavioral factors. Generally, the high risk areas for VBDs are rural and tribal areas and urban slums inhabited by the poor, marginalized and vulnerable groups with limited access to quality health care, communication and other basic amenities in those focal areas.

On the onset of monsoon, the threat of outbreak of Vector Borne Diseases (VBDs), specifically Malaria, Dengue and Chikunguniya is prevailing. VBDs have become a major menace, especially for the inhabitants of Gurgaon because of unhygienic living condition, highly inadequate sanitation, problem of water logging, unawareness about preventive measures among common mass. While businesses suffer huge productivity loss every year on account of work place absenteeism, our families have to go through immense stress due to loved ones suffering on account of VBDs.

The silver lining is that this outbreak can be controlled and in fact totally eliminated. However it would need a comprehensive collaboration, with private sector taking the lead in partnership with government, hospitals, residential colonies, civil societies and people at large.

DLF Foundation in partnership with Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India has undertaken an initiative to address the menace of VBDs in Gurgaon and work towards making Gurgaon VBDs free.

Considering the transmission season of VBDs as soon as in the month of June, DLF Foundation has taken up the role of catalyst in bringing all stakeholders together on a common platform to drive public education, influence and improve preventive behaviour, facilitating affordable diagnostic services across all communities, creating database and measuring footprints to strategize preventive and curative activities with multiple stakeholders.

In order to achieve the vision of VBD free Gurgaon, DLF Foundation organized a workshop on 16^th May 2017 on the occasion of National Dengue Day and lead a process to develop a roadmap to counter VBD for the appropriate mitigation measures and implementation strategy with involvement of Government, Corporate Partners, Media, Hospital and Medical Professionals, Resident Welfare Associations, NGOs, etc. The workshop introduced the technical details of VBD, having the Chief Medical Officer, the District Malaria Officer and team as resource persons. The outcome of the workshop was achieved as a broad framework towards action plan for NBD Free Gurgaon arrived at by the group and as next step, it has been recommended to form a “Gurgaon Task Force” for VBD elimination by directly engaging the stakeholders with the defined responsibilities.

Col. Prakash Tewari, Executive Director, CSR, DLF Ltd., introduced this programme as part of Gurugram Rejuvenation Plan. He said that in Gurugram there were many risks concerning potable water, VBD and many others. However, the challenge was to turn these risks into opportunities. He said that DLF Ltd. had been working on VBD control at a national level with NVBDCP, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and was now keen to focus on Gurugram. He added that the objective was to bring together various stakeholders including corporates, hospitals and the government on a common platform and encourage collaboration and pooling of resources and skills to make an impact.