PDF 15th Sept. 2016
The death of several people in Delhi linked to an outbreak of dengue, chikungunya and
malaria has once again exposed the inadequacy (अपया तता) of national public health
programmes that aim to eliminate (समा त करना / ख़तम करना) vector-borne diseases. There was
a sharp increase in the incidence of chikungunya in the country in 2015 over the previous year,
although official data do not attribute any deaths to the infection. Dengue cases have also
steadily (तेजी से / गंभीर प से) risen, from 75,808 in 2013 to 99,913 last year, with the death toll
rising from 193 to 220 during this period. The footprint for malaria has grown, with over 1.1
million cases last year, although the number of people dying from the infection has shown a
recent decline (कमी / अवन त), going by official statistics. It must, of course, be borne in mind
that there is some evidence of under-reporting of malaria, leading to the criticism that the full
impact of the disease is not captured by government data. Delhi’s residents are, of course, not
alone in suffering from the failures of long-running vector control programmes, although they
are justified in feeling disgusted at the politicization of the problem. The irony ( यं य/ वड बना)
is that India, with its focus on rapid economic growth and prosperity, is nowhere near victory in
the battle against productivity-sapping ( नबल बनाना/ शि तह न करना) infections spread by
mosquitoes and other insects, while a nimble (कुशल/ द
/ स
य) neighbour like Sri Lanka
could declare itself malaria-free.
There are several aspects to the Sri Lankan experience that could help evaluate the efforts of
India’s States in their battle to control disease-spreading vectors. Better results were achieved by
the island nation through integration of different approaches. This includes focusing on mosquito
control in irrigation and agriculture, introducing new classes of insecticides for residual spraying
within houses, and scaling up distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets even in areas caught up
in conflict (टकराव/
त व द / ट कर). Mobile centres for access to diagnostics and treatment
also helped halt disease transmission. For India to achieve its goal of eliminating malaria by
2030, and curb other vector-borne diseases, there has to be sustained effort and political will. The
dengue map for 2015 shows that Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Gujarat were the
worst-affected. On chikungunya, Karnataka needs special help, as it has a disproportionately
higher incidence compared to other States. Evidently, it will take active surveillance ( नगरानी)
and close collaboration with local governments to eliminate the hotspots. Mobilizing the
community to participate in sanitation campaigns holds the key, although families that live in
deprived ( वं चत ) neighbourhoods will need generous ( चु र / उदार) municipal assistance,
improved civic facilities and access to free health care.
1. Inadequacy (अपया तता)
Synonyms: Deficiency, Dearth, Insufficiency, Scarceness
Antonyms: Abundance, Plenty, Sufficiency, Enough, Extra
2. Eliminate (समा त करना / ख़तम करना)
Synonyms: Annihilate, Wipe Out, Eradicate, Erase
Antonyms: Establish, Employ, Retain, Build
3. Steadily (तेजी से / गंभीर प से)
Synonyms: Regularly, Undeviatingly, Unwaveringly
Antonyms: Discontinuity
4. Decline (कमी / अवन त)
Synonyms: Downfall, Relapse, Deterioration, Decadence
Antonyms: Increase, Rise, Growth, Ascent
5. Irony ( यं य/ वड बना)
Synonyms: Squid, Vitriol, Satire,
Antonyms: Directness, Flattery
6. Sapping ( नबल बनाना/ शि तह न करना)
Synonyms: Weaken, Diminish, Debilitate, Emasculate
Antonyms: Strengthen, Energize
7. Nimble (कुशल/ द
/स
य)
Synonyms: Agile, Nifty, Adept, Adroit
Antonyms: Inept, Unskillful, Clumsy
8. Conflict (टकराव/
त व द / ट कर)
Synonyms: Clash, Combat, Rivalry, Encounter
Antonyms: Agreement, Accord, Stability
9. Surveillance ( नगरानी)
Synonyms: Observation, Watch, Custody,
Antonyms: Carelessness, Negligence, Inobservance, Ignorance
10. Deprived (वं चत)
Synonyms: Destitute, Bereave, Debar , Underprivileged
Antonyms: Privileged, Accounted
11. Generous ( चु र / उदार)
Synonyms: Bountiful, Liberal, Magnanimous, Munificent
Antonyms: Biased, Greedy, Unkind
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