Via the Times of India: Govt still eerily silent about Zika.
AHMEDABAD: Even though the presence of the Zika virus in Ahmedabad — the only such occurrence in the country — has been officially announced, one is yet to hear of any awareness drives and public information from the state or the directorate general of health services (DGHS).
No one answered repeated calls on the lone 24x7 public helpline (011-2306146) for Zika announced by the DGHS in October. The governments of 70-odd countries which have witnessed their first Zika case have not wasted a minute to reach out to the public. In the city, posters on Zika in Gujarati and Hindi are yet to make an appearance.
TOI looked for information on the website of the Union ministry of health and family welfare and found the "Action plan for managing Zika Virus Disease". Chapter 4 of the action plan clearly enlists a risk communication strategy. It states, "The risk and actions required for risk reduction need to be conveyed to the community in clear and consistent terms."
It further states, "It (the state) shall develop risk communication strategy framework, risk communication plan including media plan." The guidelines further said that the government should develop communication materials for points of entry, hospitals, schools, colleges, workplace, for those planning pregnancy, and pregnant mothers."
Another set of documents uploaded by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) clearly states, "The States/ UT administrations to create increased awareness among clinicians including obstetricians, pediatricians, and neurologists about ZVD and its possible link with adverse pregnancy outcome."
Despite these guidelines, Amdavadis are yet to find an information kiosk. "We have not been issued any instruction on launching public campaigns for Zika disease," says a senior AMC health official.
Besides, the integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) website in the first three weeks of January 2017, when two Zika cases were confirmed, claimed to have raised measles alerts in Jamnagar, Surat and Junagadh, and Hepatitis B alerts in Vadodara, but made no mention of Zika.
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