KATHMANDU, Sept 18: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population Upendra Yadav has said that there is no need to declare the state of emergency for dengue outbreak in the country.

Speaking at a session of the House of Representatives, Yadav said the government was capable of controlling the epidemic.

"There is no need to declare the state of emergency for dengue outbreak as the government has already enforced measures to control it," he said. According to the minister, six people died of dengue while over 5000 were affected across the country in recent months. "The first case of dengue was reported in Chitwan 15 years ago. Now, it has spread to 56 districts," he said.

According to the minister, the government has made significant progress in controlling other mosquito-borne diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis. He said that public awareness campaign against dengue has been launched in dengue-hit districts in collaboration with three-tiers of government. "We have launched a search and destroy campaign. Dengue test kits have also been dispatched to 11 affected districts," he said.

According to him, special sanitation campaign has been launched in Dharan, Itahari, Biratnagar and Pokhara which are the most affected parts of the country.

During the meeting, lawmaker Devendra Raj Kandel demanded the government to declare the state of emergency saying that the dengue outbreak has already affected 56 districts.

Lawmakers drew the government's attention to the dengue epidemic in various parts of the country.

 
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