High-burden districts in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh jointly launched the campaign on Friday.
Launching the campaign, Bhushan said collective action is required to tackle the disease. He called on all states to focus on directly observed therapy rather than drug distribution.
He emphasized focusing on intensive tracking at the block level. He also pointed to the need for daily coverage analysis and reporting follow-up at all levels, as well as follow-up by monitors to ensure data quality.
As India prepares to eliminate heartworm by 2027, the timing is perfect to align this target with the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end all forms of hunger and disability or disease, he said.
Source: IANS
