Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Marks National Dengue Day With Citywide Awareness Drive
Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) marked National Dengue Day on May 16, with a series of awareness drives and preventive activities aimed at curbing the spread of dengue. These efforts were carried out in line with the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme and guidelines from the Government of Maharashtra.
"This year’s theme, “Check, Clean, Cover: Steps to Defeat Dengue,” served as the foundation for all activities conducted across the city. The campaign emphasized the importance of community involvement in combating dengue and reducing mosquito breeding grounds," said an officer from the health department of NMMC.
About Awareness Camps
As part of the observance, awareness camps were held across 26 Urban Primary Health Centers (UPHCs) throughout Navi Mumbai. These camps demonstrated the breeding habits of mosquitoes such as Anopheles and Aedes aegypti, showcasing live larvae and educating participants about typical breeding sites found inside and around homes.
Health officials explained that dengue is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which lays eggs in clean stagnant water and bites during the day. "The sessions aimed to empower citizens to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds to break the transmission chain.l," added the officer.
Over 7,455 citizens attended these awareness camps, and 844 blood samples were collected for further screening.
In addition, between May 16 and May 21, NMMC conducted internal meetings involving medical officers, staff at the UPHCs, and spraying workers to strengthen operational coordination. Meetings with private healthcare professionals across the municipal region are also being scheduled to ensure collective action.
To further engage the public, 31 street plays are being organized between May 16 and May 24, especially in slum areas, market zones, and busy localities from 6pm to 8pm. These performances aim to deliver vital health messages through entertaining and accessible formats.
The plays and educational materials highlighted the symptoms of dengue, which include sudden high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, vomiting, mouth dryness, fluctuating fever, and skin rashes.
Officials also detailed common mosquito breeding spots, such as water collected under flowerpots, uncovered water containers, stagnant feng shui items, and scrap materials like used bottles, coconut shells, paint tins, tyres, and plastic sheets found on terraces or construction sites.
NMMC underscored the importance of household-level prevention, urging residents to cover all water storage units and dispose of any objects that might collect water. "The participation of every citizen is crucial to controlling the disease," he further added.
Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde appealed to the public, stating, “To defeat dengue, every resident must regularly check, clean, and cover water sources. Let us all work together to keep Navi Mumbai dengue-free.”
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