The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Awareness procession on chikungunya

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Awareness procession on chikungunya

Staff Reporter

A joint initiative taken by Corporation's Health Department and Karunalaya

CLASS ON CLEANLINESS: Members of women self-help groups participate in an awareness campaign on chikungunya held at Tondiarpet in north Chennai on Tuesday. The programme was organised by Karunalaya, a non-governmental organisation, and the Chennai Co rporation's Health Department. — PHOTO: V. GANESAN

CHENNAI : The Corporation's Health Department and Karunalaya, a non-governmental organisation working with street and slum children, took out an awareness rally on chikungunya in north Chennai on Tuesday.

Karunalaya has assisted the civic body, helping to monitor the breeding of mosquitoes. In zone 3, the civic body covered 497 patients between September 14 and 19. A door-to-door campaign was conducted in VOC Nagar areas in zone 1, covering 1,298 houses. The programme would continue till month-end.

About 165 women leaders of self-help groups participated in training sessions held on Saturday. More than 60 per cent of households were identified as breeding places of mosquito larvae which were bred in water containers. A majority of breeding spots were coconut shells, stone grinders, PVC water containers, pots, unattended utensils, potholes, plastic carry bags and ornamental fish tanks.

According to a survey conducted by the NGO, myths about the disease are common among residents. Most people think that those, who have contacted the disease, die of it. Though a majority of residents have heard of the disease and precautionary measures through the media, they are yet to practise what they have heard.

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