Govt aims to cut dengue infection by 60% within five years

KATHMANDU, June 11: The government has launched a plan to reduce the dengue infection rate by 60 percent over the next five years.

According to the Dengue Prevention and Control Multisectoral Plan prepared by the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, the target will be achieved by mobilizing all federal, provincial, and local government bodies in dengue prevention and control efforts.

The government has also set a goal of reducing the dengue mortality rate to below 0.01 percent. The ministry said special measures will be taken to minimize severe dengue cases and related complications.

To achieve these targets, authorities will strengthen disease surveillance systems and use all available mechanisms to monitor the spread of dengue. An early warning system will also be enhanced to alert people in high risk areas before dengue carrying mosquitoes enter those locations.

The government also plans to strengthen and sustain an integrated vector surveillance system to ensure rapid response once dengue carrying mosquitoes are detected. Public communication and awareness campaigns will be expanded to reduce disease risks.

As part of the plan, the government will promote regular sanitation measures to destroy mosquito breeding grounds. A weekly "Clean Friday" campaign will be introduced to encourage communities to remove stagnant water and improve cleanliness.

Similarly, high risk areas will be designated as "zero tolerance zones" for mosquito breeding. Strict sanitation measures will be enforced around parks, fountains, ponds, and other sites where dengue carrying mosquitoes may breed. The government also plans to encourage greater use of piped water instead of storing water in tanks, which often become mosquito breeding sites.

The strategy includes increasing the number of larvae eating fish in water bodies and, where necessary, spraying insecticides to control mosquito populations.

With rising global temperatures, dengue, once largely confined to Nepal's southern plains, was reported in all 77 districts last year.

So far this year, 915 dengue cases have been recorded across 68 districts, with one reported death.

According to Dr Gokarna Dahal, Senior Health Administrator at the Vector Borne Disease Branch, dengue cases have increased during the monsoon season over the past three years, with outbreaks occurring in several districts. Since January 2026, cases have been reported in Sunsari, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Jhapa, Morang, Rupandehi, Kanchanpur, Makwanpur, Okhaldhunga, and Sindhuli.

To strengthen response efforts, the government has formed a National Dengue Task Force under the leadership of the Director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.

Based on regular monitoring, directives have been issued to 19 local governments where cases have risen since mid-December 2025, instructing them to implement preventive measures. Similar instructions are being prepared for 10 more local governments.

Acting Director General of the Department of Health Services, Dr. Anuj Bhattchan, said the department currently has 8,000 rapid dengue test kits in stock, while procurement of an additional 30,000 kits is in its final stage.

Health workers will also receive virtual and in person training on dengue diagnosis and case management.

Dr Dahal said more than 1,700 doctors and health workers from public and private hospitals have already been oriented on the national dengue treatment protocol to reduce fatalities and ensure hospitals remain prepared.

The government also plans to observe the Nepali month of Shrawan ( mid-July to mid-August) as "Dengue Awareness Month," conducting mosquito habitat searches, larva destruction campaigns, public awareness programs, and multisectoral coordination activities.

For the current fiscal year 2025/26, more than Rs 50 million has been allocated for mosquito habitat identification and destruction campaigns across 450 local governments and all 77 districts.

"Effective dengue control cannot be achieved through the health sector alone," Dr. Dahal said, stressing the need for broad community participation and coordination among multiple sectors.