Panaji: Goa has been witnessing a decreasing trend in dengue cases since last year, but health centres have already begun stepping up efforts to ensure the state sees minimum cases this year too. So far, the numbers have been promising. Between January and April, Goa reported 11 confirmed dengue cases compared to 29 reported for the same period last year.
Significant Decline in Dengue Cases
In 2025, there was an 81% drop in dengue cases compared to 2024, when 567 confirmed dengue cases and three deaths were reported. Last year’s cases were the lowest seen in a decade or more; however, stakeholders say challenges still remain.
Challenges in Mosquito Breeding Control
“Many times our workers have to enter people’s homes only to find breeding in vases, refrigerator water and money plants. People still believe that it’s only the health department’s responsibility to control mosquito breeding,” said Dr Baptista Mascarenhas, in-charge of Margao Urban Health Centre.
“We find that when there are colonies and buildings, nobody takes responsibility to clean the surroundings. Everybody points fingers at others, but our workers cannot go into everybody’s private properties. In the market area too, people drink and dispose of plastic cups where rainwater gets collected,” he added.
Clean-Up Drives and Community Efforts
The health centres along with local bodies have already begun clean-up drives to pick up receptacles lying around that could become potential breeding spots. In-charge of the national vector-borne disease control programme, Dr Kalpana Mahatme, said unsafe water-storing practices continue to be a challenge.
In addition to this is the transportation of the virus from urban areas, where people travel for work, to remote areas where they live, as well as the influx of migrant labourers for various infrastructure projects.
Community as Key to Dengue Prevention
Tackling dengue must be a community effort, she said, adding that people are realising this, with the directorate of health services receiving many responses to its April 23 advisory to appoint nodal officers to ensure no water stagnation in their various offices, departments, etc. The advisory spelt out specific roles the nodal officers have to take on.
“We are also reaching out to schools and making children our ambassadors, teaching them to check for mosquito breeding and prevent water from stagnating. Our health workers cannot be present in each one’s flat and home. These children take the knowledge back to their families and neighbours, and the message gets percolated down in the community,” she said.
