Deputy Commissioner(DC) S.J. Somashekar said the necessary measures must be taken to control communicable diseases in Kodagu. He was speaking while chairing a meeting of the District Surveillance Committee at the D C’s office recently.
The meeting reviewed measures to control mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, dog-bite cases, biomedical-waste management, improvements in hospital standards, tobacco control, HIV prevention and progress under the HPV vaccination campaign.
District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. Satish Kumar said 2,502 blood samples had been tested in connection with fever cases and 42 dengue cases had been confirmed during the period. He said house-to-house surveys, mosquito-larvae elimination drives and public-awareness activities were being conducted during the monsoon to prevent dengue, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. The D C advised that greater awareness be created in tribal hamlets.
By the end of September 2026, the district had recorded 999 dog-bite cases, Dr. Satish Kumar said. The DC instructed officials to ensure adequate stocks of anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin so that people bitten by dogs or other animals could receive timely treatment.
Reviewing progress under the Kayakalp programme, the DC stressed the need to improve cleanliness, hygiene, infection control and waste management in public health institutions. Hospitals must provide patients with a good and safe environment, segregate and dispose of biomedical waste according to prescribed rules, and comply with national healthcare quality standards. He also called for effective enforcement of biomedical-waste rules through the district-level monitoring and empowerment committee.
The meeting reviewed the National Tobacco Control Programme. Dr. Satish Kumar said 64 raids had been conducted in the district under the COTPA law between April and September 2026, and fines totalling Rs1,09,700 had been collected from violators. Of 593 schools in the district, 327 had been registered on the Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions platform; 15 of the district’s 65 colleges had also been registered. Measures were being taken to make licences mandatory for tobacco sales and to display signs designating tobacco-prohibited areas in bars and restaurants.
Under the Mission AIDS Suraksha campaign, the meeting discussed public awareness, testing, treatment and counselling services to help control the spread of HIV. The D C said Kodagu should implement the programme effectively in line with the state’s goal of making all districts ‘Safe+’ by December 1, 2026.
Under the HPV vaccination campaign to prevent cervical cancer, Kodagu had achieved 70.79% of its target by October 6. Of the target of 5,276 people, 3,735 had been vaccinated. Somwarpet taluk led the district with 74.88% coverage. The District Health and Family Welfare Officer provided the figures, and the DC called for greater awareness among female students.
Those present included District Surveillance Officer Dr. Srinivas, District Tuberculosis Control Officer Dr. Sanath Kumar, District Surgeon Dr. Nanjundaiah, Dr. Anil Dhawan, District Health Education Officer H.K. Shanthi, the Integrated Tribal Development Project Officer and taluk-level officials.
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