Centre declares snakebites a 'notifiable disease' in India
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has urged all states to make snakebite cases and deaths a "notifiable disease" under relevant provisions of the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation making it mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable snakebite cases and deaths.
Snakebites are an issue of public health concern and in certain cases, they cause mortality, morbidity and disability, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said in a letter.
The farmers, tribal population etc. are at higher risk.
In order to address the issue of snakebite, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has launched the "National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) from India by 2030" in consultation with relevant ministries and stakeholders, Srivastava mentioned.
The objective of the action plan is to halve the snakebite related deaths by the year 2030, she underlined.
The plan has defined strategic components, roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders involved in snakebite management, control and prevention.
One of the key objectives under the NAPSE is to strengthen the surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths in India.
"A robust surveillance system is essential for accurately tracking snakebite incidents and deaths, which will provide valuable data to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions," Srivastava said in the letter on November 27.
Therefore, a mandatory notification of all snakebite cases and deaths is required to strengthen snakebite surveillance, she emphasised.
It will help the stakeholders gauge accurate burden, high risk areas, factors responsible for deaths of snakebite victims, etc. resulting in improved clinical management of snakebite victims.
Further, notification of snakebite cases and deaths will also improve reporting from private health facilities, she said.
"You are requested to make snakebite cases and deaths a "notifiable disease" under the relevant provisions under the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation making it mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable Snakebite Cases and deaths in the enclosed format," she said in the letter.
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Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi supressed, says Aaditya Thackeray; demands UT status
Pune, Dec 9: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday alleged that injustice was being meted out to Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi in Karnataka, demanding that the region be declared a Union Territory.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Thackeray said while celebrations are underway over the formation of the new government in Maharashtra, the situation was deteriorating in Belagavi in the neighbouring state.
As the winter session of the Karnataka assembly begins on Monday, members of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti are opposing it. The outfit organised a congregation in Belagavi, but the Karnataka government allegedly prohibited the gathering and banned leaders from Maharashtra from entering the state.
"Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi are being suppressed. Since yesterday, the situation has been deteriorating in the region. Our party workers are being detained. The previous 'unconstitutional' chief minister had promised that they would give extra funds to the Marathi-speaking people living in the disputed territory. What happened to that assurance?" the MLA asked.
He questioned whether the BJP-led government in the Centre was willing to declare Belgavi as a Union Territory.
"Our demand was and is that Belagavi should be declared a Union Territory," he added.
