<p>*By:&nbsp;<strong>Olivier Telle</strong></p>

<p>Human societies have seen a significant decrease in mortality from infectious diseases over the past century.</p>

<p>However, we must still struggle with ongoing pathologies we once thought were under control (cholera, tuberculosis, plague, etc.) as well as the new ones that have emerged over the last 30 years (HIV/AIDS, Ebola, dengue, West Nile virus, H1N1, etc.).</p>

<p>The vast scale of the global epidemics provoked by these viruses forces us to look more closely at the territories where they emerge.</p>

<p>In India, there has been an accelerated spread of dengue and chikungunya, both transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, which is particularly well adapted to urbanised areas.</p>

<p>For example, the annual number of new dengue cases is estimated at more than 30 million, while the number of chikungunya cases is believed to have increased by 390 per cent over the last three years.</p>

<p>Recent estimates indicate that India is the country with the highest prevalence of these two diseases.</p>

<p><strong>Cities, and disease, on the rise</strong></p>

<p>The rise of these infectious diseases is often described in terms of biological processes, but they cannot be reduced to just this dimension.</p>

<p>A range of factors plays a role, in particular, increasing urbanisation and human mobility. The trains connecting Mumbai to its periphery move more than 7 million travellers a day, and New Delhi’s metro system caters to 2.5 million daily commuters.</p>

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<h6><em>Daily life for millions of Mumbai’s inhabitants.</em></h6>

<p>The growing attention paid to the epidemiology of these viruses can hence be clearly seen as a direct result of the urban transition taking place in India over the last 30 years.</p>

<p>Collaborative studies conducted by the CNRS, the Institute Pasteur and the National Institute of Malaria Research show that nearly 40 per cent of the population of New Delhi have been infected by the dengue virus at least once in their lifetime.</p>

<p>In addition, we were able to highlight an epidemiology of the virus. Because all parts of the city are now hyper-connected, emerging diseases such as dengue affect both privileged and more deprived areas, be they in the centre or peripheral or rural zones.</p>

<p>The social and spatial ubiquity of the disease demands a reevaluation of the geographical models that we use to understand public health problems, as no one knows how, or even where, to counter these diseases that affect not just countries such as India, but the entire planet.</p>

<p><img alt="file-20180312-30969-1v7gdg5_0.png" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="257" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/file-20180312-30969-1v7gdg5_0.png" width="754" /></p>

<h6><em>Density</em><em> of dengue cases recorded in New Delhi in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (Telle et al., 2016). Olivier Telle, Author provided.</em></h6>

<p>While urban development is the matrix for emerging infectious diseases, one also expects these territories to be resilient to these new viruses, with better communication, sanitation and healthcare, among other attributes. But they do not seem to have been able to adapt: not only do the pathogens continue to spread, but they also emerge and spread more quickly.</p>

<p><strong>How to tackle an invisible disease</strong></p>

<p>The problem of managing these diseases arises along with the practices that have led to this lack of resilience. What we mainly find is an inequality in disease management, particularly in large cities and the zones between them.</p>

<p>In New Delhi, more than 35 hospitals record the number of patients suffering from dengue or chikungunya. Based on the data compiled, New Delhi is officially the most affected city in India due to higher numbers of hospitals that register the diseases. Because of the careful record-keeping, the numbers are seven times higher than in Mumbai or Chennai, which – officially at least – are little affected.</p>

<p>New Delhi’s monitoring network functions most efficiently at the city’s core, and thus infectious diseases are far better managed there than in peripheral municipalities, which are nonetheless an integral part of the metropolitan fabric. Despite the fact that 40 per cent of the urban population lives in towns with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, small- and medium-size towns are excluded from this monitoring system.</p>

<p>Territories and infectious diseases are thus caught in a sort of “local globalisation” that requires us to question the concepts of borders, mobility and a spread of the specific urban model.</p>

<p>This process works against an effective management of epidemics: the more widespread diseases become, the more fragmented their management, and the greater their dependence on national, regional and urban health policies.</p>

<p><strong>Adaptability and a reduction of inequalities</strong></p>

<p>At present, the question of the management of infectious diseases is relatively absent in health/urban studies, all the more so when they are approached from a municipal perspective.</p>

<p>While local municipalities are at the forefront of efforts to contain the spread of infectious diseases, they are largely ignored by scientists and international organisations when it comes to adopting effective solutions.</p>

<p>While the emergence of these new diseases is the result of complex phenomena – including the rise in local and international mobility, accelerating climate change and the emergence of new viruses – the resilience of the territories lies precisely in their ability to maintain a measure of spatial and social equity.</p>

<p>Indeed, dispersed management efforts inexorably lead to these viruses spreading locally, regionally and internationally, even in what should be less-vulnerable spaces. The main challenge for India, and all the countries that face these risks, is thus to make the diseases that are currently invisible more visible where they exist. At the international level, the only way to do this is through sustainable cooperation.</p>

<p><strong>Innovating with the cities</strong></p>

<p>The other challenge is scientific. After having studied all the factors that affect the disease – from a pluridisciplinary perspective, necessarily – methods to contain them need to be developed that take into account the complexity of the cities. In particular, it is impossible to act everywhere in megalopolises.</p>

<ul>
	<li>In India, an emerging project associating virologists, entomologists, geographers and political scientists, supported by the CNRS, the Centre for Policy Research and NIMR proposes a twofold action plan.</li>
	<li>First, suggest and develop innovative methods to control mosquitoes that can be implemented by municipalities.</li>
</ul>

<p>Second, using big data, analyse the mobility patterns of millions of citizens and comparing them with the spread of viruses, and thus identify the spaces that need to be monitored. By closely targeting such systems, they may well have an impact beyond the local level. Nonetheless, containment only seems viable in the short term.</p>

<p>To control these diseases in a more sustainable manner, the health of the inhabitants has to become a key factor in urban development. This involves reforming the management of diseases, and hence of urban centres, developing more equitable urban infrastructures, and most of all, developing inclusive cities. In short, investments are required.</p>

<p>However, if the task is important, new approaches and new programmes – for example, smart cities or sustainable towns – may be a means of better containing these epidemics.</p>

<p>It is essential to ensure that these programmes do not remain concentrated in the most privileged areas, as they will have only a limited impact. These epidemics are a scourge, but also an opportunity: in a context where these infectious diseases do not recognise administrative frontiers, much less social ones, they may finally have a positive impact on urban development and encourage the development of more inclusive cities</p>

<p><strong>*Olivier Telle is a Research scientist at CSH, Centre national de la recherche </strong><strong>scientifique</strong><strong> (CNRS)</strong></p>

<p><em>(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/emerging-infectious-diseases-in-india-the-scourge-that-could-boost-urban-development-95076">original article</a>.</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


Nearly 40 per cent of the population of New Delhi have been infected by the dengue virus at least once in their lifetime

*By: Olivier Telle Human societies have seen a significant decrease in mortality from infectious diseases over the past century. However, we must still struggle with ongoing pathologies we once thought were under control (cholera, tuberculosis, plague, etc.) as well as the new ones that have emerged over the last 30 years (HIV/AIDS, Ebola, dengue, West Nile virus, H1N1, etc.). The vast scale of the global epidemics provoked by these viruses forces us to look more closely at the territories where they emerge. In India, there has been an accelerated spread of dengue and chikungunya, both transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, which is particularly well adapted to urbanised areas. For example, the annual number of new dengue cases is estimated at more than 30 million, while the number of chikungunya cases is believed to have increased by 390 per cent over the last three years. Recent estimates indicate that India is the country with the highest prevalence of these two diseases. Cities, and disease, on the rise The rise of these infectious diseases is often described in terms of biological processes, but they cannot be reduced to just this dimension. A range of factors plays a role, in particular, increasing urbanisation and human mobility. The trains connecting Mumbai to its periphery move more than 7 million travellers a day, and New Delhi’s metro system caters to 2.5 million daily commuters. × Daily life for millions of Mumbai’s inhabitants. The growing attention paid to the epidemiology of these viruses can hence be clearly seen as a direct result of the urban transition taking place in India over the last 30 years. Collaborative studies conducted by the CNRS, the Institute Pasteur and the National Institute of Malaria Research show that nearly 40 per cent of the population of New Delhi have been infected by the dengue virus at least once in their lifetime. In addition, we were able to highlight an epidemiology of the virus. Because all parts of the city are now hyper-connected, emerging diseases such as dengue affect both privileged and more deprived areas, be they in the centre or peripheral or rural zones. The social and spatial ubiquity of the disease demands a reevaluation of the geographical models that we use to understand public health problems, as no one knows how, or even where, to counter these diseases that affect not just countries such as India, but the entire planet. Density of dengue cases recorded in New Delhi in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (Telle et al., 2016). Olivier Telle, Author provided. While urban development is the matrix for emerging infectious diseases, one also expects these territories to be resilient to these new viruses, with better communication, sanitation and healthcare, among other attributes. But they do not seem to have been able to adapt: not only do the pathogens continue to spread, but they also emerge and spread more quickly. How to tackle an invisible disease The problem of managing these diseases arises along with the practices that have led to this lack of resilience. What we mainly find is an inequality in disease management, particularly in large cities and the zones between them. In New Delhi, more than 35 hospitals record the number of patients suffering from dengue or chikungunya. Based on the data compiled, New Delhi is officially the most affected city in India due to higher numbers of hospitals that register the diseases. Because of the careful record-keeping, the numbers are seven times higher than in Mumbai or Chennai, which – officially at least – are little affected. New Delhi’s monitoring network functions most efficiently at the city’s core, and thus infectious diseases are far better managed there than in peripheral municipalities, which are nonetheless an integral part of the metropolitan fabric. Despite the fact that 40 per cent of the urban population lives in towns with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, small- and medium-size towns are excluded from this monitoring system. Territories and infectious diseases are thus caught in a sort of “local globalisation” that requires us to question the concepts of borders, mobility and a spread of the specific urban model. This process works against an effective management of epidemics: the more widespread diseases become, the more fragmented their management, and the greater their dependence on national, regional and urban health policies. Adaptability and a reduction of inequalities At present, the question of the management of infectious diseases is relatively absent in health/urban studies, all the more so when they are approached from a municipal perspective. While local municipalities are at the forefront of efforts to contain the spread of infectious diseases, they are largely ignored by scientists and international organisations when it comes to adopting effective solutions. While the emergence of these new diseases is the result of complex phenomena – including the rise in local and international mobility, accelerating climate change and the emergence of new viruses – the resilience of the territories lies precisely in their ability to maintain a measure of spatial and social equity. Indeed, dispersed management efforts inexorably lead to these viruses spreading locally, regionally and internationally, even in what should be less-vulnerable spaces. The main challenge for India, and all the countries that face these risks, is thus to make the diseases that are currently invisible more visible where they exist. At the international level, the only way to do this is through sustainable cooperation. Innovating with the cities The other challenge is scientific. After having studied all the factors that affect the disease – from a pluridisciplinary perspective, necessarily – methods to contain them need to be developed that take into account the complexity of the cities. In particular, it is impossible to act everywhere in megalopolises. In India, an emerging project associating virologists, entomologists, geographers and political scientists, supported by the CNRS, the Centre for Policy Research and NIMR proposes a twofold action plan. First, suggest and develop innovative methods to control mosquitoes that can be implemented by municipalities. Second, using big data, analyse the mobility patterns of millions of citizens and comparing them with the spread of viruses, and thus identify the spaces that need to be monitored. By closely targeting such systems, they may well have an impact beyond the local level. Nonetheless, containment only seems viable in the short term. To control these diseases in a more sustainable manner, the health of the inhabitants has to become a key factor in urban development. This involves reforming the management of diseases, and hence of urban centres, developing more equitable urban infrastructures, and most of all, developing inclusive cities. In short, investments are required. However, if the task is important, new approaches and new programmes – for example, smart cities or sustainable towns – may be a means of better containing these epidemics. It is essential to ensure that these programmes do not remain concentrated in the most privileged areas, as they will have only a limited impact. These epidemics are a scourge, but also an opportunity: in a context where these infectious diseases do not recognise administrative frontiers, much less social ones, they may finally have a positive impact on urban development and encourage the development of more inclusive cities *Olivier Telle is a Research scientist at CSH, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Emerging infectious diseases in India — the scourge that could boost urban development

<p>A Commonwealth Games athlete is in serious condition at a Gold Coast hospital after being diagnosed with malaria, officials said on Friday.</p>

<p>The 23-year-old, who has not been identified, is under close observation at Gold Coast University Hospital after being admitted on Thursday with the mosquito-borne disease.</p>

<p>"The patient received immediate treatment for malaria on arrival at GCUH," a statement from the organising committee said.&nbsp</p>

<p>"The patient remains admitted to GCUH in a serious condition and continues to be closely monitored."</p>

<p>The statement added that "there is no locally acquired malaria in mainland Australia".</p>


The 23-year-old, who has not been identified, is under close observation at Gold Coast University Hospital after being admitted on Thursday with the mosquito-borne disease

A Commonwealth Games athlete is in serious condition at a Gold Coast hospital after being diagnosed with malaria, officials said on Friday. The 23-year-old, who has not been identified, is under close observation at Gold Coast University Hospital after being admitted on Thursday with the mosquito-borne disease. "The patient received immediate treatment for malaria on arrival at GCUH," a statement from the organising committee said. "The patient remains admitted to GCUH in a serious condition and continues to be closely monitored." The statement added that "there is no locally acquired malaria in mainland Australia".

Commonwealth Games athlete in serious condition with malaria

<p>At least 176 dengue cases were reported in the city last week, taking the total number of people affected by the vector-borne disease in the national capital this year to 9,072, according to a municipal report released today.</p>

<p>The numbers of malaria and chikungunya cases recorded this year, till December 2, stood at 1,132 and 917 respectively, the report said.</p>

<p>However, there is a decline in the numbers of these cases as the season for vector-borne diseases is coming to an end.</p>

<p>Of the 9,072 dengue cases this year, 4,645 patients belonged to Delhi, while 4,427 had come to the city from other states for treatment, the report read.</p>

<p>The mosquito-borne tropical disease had claimed its first victim in the city this year on August 1, when a 12-year-old boy died of dengue shock syndromes at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH).</p>

<p>Three more deaths were reported in October by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data for the entire city.</p>

<p>The civic body, however, is yet to acknowledge two fatalities due to dengue at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital and the death of a boy at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital due to the vector-borne disease.</p>

<p>According to the RML Hospital authorities, Shaurya Pratap Singh (7) had died on November 22, two days after he was admitted to the hospital, the latest dengue death to be reported from the national capital.</p>

<p>The number of dengue cases recorded in the city stood at 2,022 in October, while over 800 cases were reported last month, the report said.</p>

<p>Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between mid-July and November-end. This year, however, the disease had spread much earlier.</p>

<p>Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water. The female Anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, breeds in both fresh and muddy water.</p>

<p>According to the SDMC, mosquito breeding was reported from 2,09,637 Delhi households till December 2.</p>

<p>The number of cases recorded in areas falling under the north, south and east Delhi municipal corporations stood at 704, 704 and 412 respectively. As many as 2,825 cases were recorded in areas not falling under the three corporations.</p>

<p>At least 21 dengue deaths were reported last year from various city hospitals, including nine at the AIIMS, though the official figure of the civic bodies was 10.</p>

<p>Seventeen deaths, suspected to be due to malaria, were also reported by the civic bodies last year.</p>

<p>At least 15 fatalities were reported last year from various city hospitals due to complications triggered by chikungunya, though the civic authorities kept the death tally at zero.</p>

<p>One of the worst chikungunya outbreaks in the national capital was in 2016 when 12,221 cases were reported till December 24. Of these, 9,749 were confirmed.</p>


The numbers of malaria and chikungunya cases recorded this year, till December 2, stood at 1,132 and 917 respectively, the report said

At least 176 dengue cases were reported in the city last week, taking the total number of people affected by the vector-borne disease in the national capital this year to 9,072, according to a municipal report released today. The numbers of malaria and chikungunya cases recorded this year, till December 2, stood at 1,132 and 917 respectively, the report said. However, there is a decline in the numbers of these cases as the season for vector-borne diseases is coming to an end. Of the 9,072 dengue cases this year, 4,645 patients belonged to Delhi, while 4,427 had come to the city from other states for treatment, the report read. The mosquito-borne tropical disease had claimed its first victim in the city this year on August 1, when a 12-year-old boy died of dengue shock syndromes at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH). Three more deaths were reported in October by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data for the entire city. The civic body, however, is yet to acknowledge two fatalities due to dengue at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital and the death of a boy at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital due to the vector-borne disease. According to the RML Hospital authorities, Shaurya Pratap Singh (7) had died on November 22, two days after he was admitted to the hospital, the latest dengue death to be reported from the national capital. The number of dengue cases recorded in the city stood at 2,022 in October, while over 800 cases were reported last month, the report said. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between mid-July and November-end. This year, however, the disease had spread much earlier. Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water. The female Anopheles mosquito, which causes malaria, breeds in both fresh and muddy water. According to the SDMC, mosquito breeding was reported from 2,09,637 Delhi households till December 2. The number of cases recorded in areas falling under the north, south and east Delhi municipal corporations stood at 704, 704 and 412 respectively. As many as 2,825 cases were recorded in areas not falling under the three corporations. At least 21 dengue deaths were reported last year from various city hospitals, including nine at the AIIMS, though the official figure of the civic bodies was 10. Seventeen deaths, suspected to be due to malaria, were also reported by the civic bodies last year. At least 15 fatalities were reported last year from various city hospitals due to complications triggered by chikungunya, though the civic authorities kept the death tally at zero. One of the worst chikungunya outbreaks in the national capital was in 2016 when 12,221 cases were reported till December 24. Of these, 9,749 were confirmed.

176 dengue cases reported in Delhi last week, 9,072 this year

<p>CRPF Troops evacuated a lady to a Community Health Center when found that she was suffering from high fever and dehydration.&nbsp;</p>

<p>D/195 Bn CRPF Troops on Monday were conducting special operation in interior areas of Surnar under P S Katekalyan, Dist Dantewada, Bastar, Chattisgarh. It was then they noticed two children outside their house along with a 2 month baby crying. On further enquiry they found the mother of children lying, suffering from high fever and dehydration(probably Malaria). The house, with a thachted roof, was located away from the main village. Her husband had gone into jungle for rearing cattles. Troops fed the children with their food material.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shri Devaram, Assistant Commandent CRPF, immediately decided to evacuate the lady to the Community Health Centre, Kattekalyan. They made a bamboo stretcher and carried her on shoulders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the nearest motorable road was 7 kms, it was difficult to take her along the way with thick jungles, hillocks and rivers with high current due to monsoon season, the message was passed on to D/195 Bn headquater to bring ambulance to a designated place.</p>

<p>The lady is now admitted in Kattekalyan community health center and is recovering.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Her husband thanked the troops and Shri Devaram with tears in his eyes. Medical staff appreciated the genuine gesture of the troops carrying the lady on shoulders.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


CRPF Troops found the lady suffering with high fever while conducting special operations in Bastar, Chattisgarh

CRPF Troops evacuated a lady to a Community Health Center when found that she was suffering from high fever and dehydration. D/195 Bn CRPF Troops on Monday were conducting special operation in interior areas of Surnar under P S Katekalyan, Dist Dantewada, Bastar, Chattisgarh. It was then they noticed two children outside their house along with a 2 month baby crying. On further enquiry they found the mother of children lying, suffering from high fever and dehydration(probably Malaria). The house, with a thachted roof, was located away from the main village. Her husband had gone into jungle for rearing cattles. Troops fed the children with their food material. Shri Devaram, Assistant Commandent CRPF, immediately decided to evacuate the lady to the Community Health Centre, Kattekalyan. They made a bamboo stretcher and carried her on shoulders. As the nearest motorable road was 7 kms, it was difficult to take her along the way with thick jungles, hillocks and rivers with high current due to monsoon season, the message was passed on to D/195 Bn headquater to bring ambulance to a designated place. The lady is now admitted in Kattekalyan community health center and is recovering. Her husband thanked the troops and Shri Devaram with tears in his eyes. Medical staff appreciated the genuine gesture of the troops carrying the lady on shoulders.

CRPF Troops carried a woman in stretcher on shoulders, evacuated her to health center

By Mohit Sharma&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A &#39;terminator&#39; train mounted with spraying machines to target insects will now be pressed into action in Indian national capital, Delhi, to combat mosquito-borne disease, chikungunya and dengue.<br />
<br />
The move, a joint collaboration between Delhi&#39;s civic bodies and northern Railways, will begin from September 23 and continue for two months, with an interval of two weeks.<br />
<br />
As per the plan, an insecticide spraying machine will be mounted on the last wagon of the special train, which will then make its rounds through the national capital region (NCR). The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks.<br />
<br />
&quot;This train will cover a distance of 150 km approximately and we hope this will help curb the mosquito menace in the capital,&quot;said a municipal official.<br />
<br />
The municipal officials in the city said while the power sprayer will be provided to the railways by the civic agencies, the targeted areas will be the large population living around railway tracks who are exposed to Aedes type and other types of mosquitoes leading to a comparatively higher incidence of dengue and malaria.<br />
&nbsp;
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<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
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<h5>The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
&quot;The water bodies formed on the land adjacent to tracks, which are otherwise inaccessible, act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The insecticide sprayed over the water bodies will check the threat in the most effective manner,&quot; said a municipal official.<br />
<br />
The terminator train will pass through Old Delhi&#39;s Sarai Rohilla, Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Safdarjung, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Adarsh Nagar, Rathdhana, Shahdara, Palam and Gurgaon.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, taking a cue from the rising number of diseases, the Delhi government on Friday issued orders asking all private hospitals to furnish data of chikungunya patients to ensure proper monitoring of the disease.<br />
<br />
&quot;The information is imperative to ensure proper monitoring and for making future policies. We have asked all hospitals to give us all information regarding chikungunya cases,&quot; said a Delhi government official. The Delhi government has also asked all mohalla clinics, nursing homes, polyclinics to remain open on all holidays.<br />
<br />
Recent reports claim that chikungunya and dengue have wreaked havoc in the Capital with the death toll from the two vector-borne diseases climbing to 30. The number of affected people has crossed 3,000.<br />
<br />
<br />
(DNA)&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;

An insecticide spraying machine will be mounted on a special train's last wagon that will make rounds through the national capital region

By Mohit Sharma A 'terminator' train mounted with spraying machines to target insects will now be pressed into action in Indian national capital, Delhi, to combat mosquito-borne disease, chikungunya and dengue. The move, a joint collaboration between Delhi's civic bodies and northern Railways, will begin from September 23 and continue for two months, with an interval of two weeks. As per the plan, an insecticide spraying machine will be mounted on the last wagon of the special train, which will then make its rounds through the national capital region (NCR). The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks. "This train will cover a distance of 150 km approximately and we hope this will help curb the mosquito menace in the capital,"said a municipal official. The municipal officials in the city said while the power sprayer will be provided to the railways by the civic agencies, the targeted areas will be the large population living around railway tracks who are exposed to Aedes type and other types of mosquitoes leading to a comparatively higher incidence of dengue and malaria. The sprayers can sanitise up to a distance of 50-60 meters from the tracks. "The water bodies formed on the land adjacent to tracks, which are otherwise inaccessible, act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The insecticide sprayed over the water bodies will check the threat in the most effective manner," said a municipal official. The terminator train will pass through Old Delhi's Sarai Rohilla, Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Safdarjung, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Adarsh Nagar, Rathdhana, Shahdara, Palam and Gurgaon. Meanwhile, taking a cue from the rising number of diseases, the Delhi government on Friday issued orders asking all private hospitals to furnish data of chikungunya patients to ensure proper monitoring of the disease. "The information is imperative to ensure proper monitoring and for making future policies. We have asked all hospitals to give us all information regarding chikungunya cases," said a Delhi government official. The Delhi government has also asked all mohalla clinics, nursing homes, polyclinics to remain open on all holidays. Recent reports claim that chikungunya and dengue have wreaked havoc in the Capital with the death toll from the two vector-borne diseases climbing to 30. The number of affected people has crossed 3,000. (DNA)

'Terminator' train to run through Indian capital to fight chikungunya, dengue

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{134}" paraid="100684559">Delhi&#39;s population of 10 million&nbsp;is served by 38&nbsp;state-run&nbsp;hospitals.&nbsp;&nbsp;The job they do is admirable given the workload --&nbsp;India&#39;s doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a&nbsp;visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run&nbsp;hospitals tend to be&nbsp;a&nbsp;messy, chaotic affair.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{215}" paraid="365142878">Madhuri,&nbsp;therefore,&nbsp;is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital.&nbsp;She&nbsp;will&nbsp;instead&nbsp;go&nbsp;to her&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;or&nbsp;neighbourhood&nbsp;clinic&nbsp;the first of which was set up by Delhi&#39;s&nbsp;Aam&nbsp;Aadmi&nbsp;Party (common&nbsp;man&nbsp;party) government in July 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{222}" paraid="1477063622">At the clinic,&nbsp;Madhuri&nbsp;is taken to a doctor who gives her a&nbsp;physical check-up&nbsp;and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{226}" paraid="756363643">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;results come back in under a minute.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{229}" paraid="12864790">In under a minute! How can that be possible?&nbsp;Even a private laboratory&nbsp;in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{237}" paraid="1948929865">The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital&#39;s&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;area is&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch&nbsp;portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests &ndash; including for&nbsp;malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor&#39;s tablet or phone.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{241}" paraid="1181462168">The Slate can also do an ECG&nbsp;and check blood pressure and heart rates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{246}" paraid="1949557041">((insert picture here of the&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate)&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{28}" paraid="2020582874">The&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;(means health in Hindi)&nbsp;Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients.&nbsp;Each unit costs about&nbsp;Rs&nbsp;40,000 or&nbsp;US$&nbsp;600.&nbsp;Aided&nbsp;by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;more patients than he did before. &ldquo;As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about&nbsp;100 of them. Today,&nbsp;over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150,&quot; says Rather&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;Nazir, the government doctor who&nbsp;has been manning the&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;clinic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{35}" paraid="1791850438">The next time those 150 patients come in,&nbsp;Nazir&nbsp;will have their medical history handy,&nbsp;for the Slate stores it in the cloud.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{40}" paraid="424907524">&ldquo;I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don&rsquo;t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Nazir.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{55}" paraid="1980413343">Which was exactly why&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Kanav&nbsp;Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate &ndash; to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Vijender&nbsp;Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{61}" paraid="322069114">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;test comes back positive. She does have&nbsp;dengue&nbsp;fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{77}" paraid="1960217798">Dr&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;checks his phone &ndash; to see what the Slate tells him about treatment &ndash; and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests&nbsp;Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;four-year-old son.&nbsp;His test&nbsp;has a&nbsp;negative&nbsp;report.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{102}" paraid="929087681">The&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are&nbsp;synonymous&nbsp;with and,&nbsp;of course,&nbsp;to provide affordable healthcare&nbsp;to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July.&nbsp;So far they&nbsp;have set up 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{121}" paraid="499288928">Which means they will probably miss their deadlines,&nbsp;but the clinics&nbsp;which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as&nbsp;immunisation&nbsp;centres&nbsp;for children, have certainly found a fan in&nbsp;Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier&nbsp;would take up almost two days,&nbsp;she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. &quot;Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>


The 8x12-inch Swasthya Slate hooks up to Android phones and tablets, and is able to conduct 33 medical tests, including those for dengue, malaria, HIV, and even ECGs, in under a minute

Delhi's population of 10 million is served by 38 state-run hospitals. The job they do is admirable given the workload -- India's doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run hospitals tend to be a messy, chaotic affair. Madhuri, therefore, is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital. She will instead go to her mohalla or neighbourhood clinic the first of which was set up by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (common man party) government in July 2015. At the clinic, Madhuri is taken to a doctor who gives her a physical check-up and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever. Madhuri's results come back in under a minute. In under a minute! How can that be possible? Even a private laboratory in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results. The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital's Peeragarhi area is Swasthya Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests – including for malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor's tablet or phone. The Slate can also do an ECG and check blood pressure and heart rates. ((insert picture here of the Swasthya Slate) The Swasthya (means health in Hindi) Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients. Each unit costs about Rs 40,000 or US$ 600. Aided by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50 per cent more patients than he did before. “As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about 100 of them. Today, over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150," says Rather Basit Nazir, the government doctor who has been manning the Peeragarhi clinic. The next time those 150 patients come in, Nazir will have their medical history handy, for the Slate stores it in the cloud. “I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don’t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,” says Nazir. Which was exactly why Dr Kanav Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate – to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says Dr Vijender Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate. Madhuri's test comes back positive. She does have dengue fever. Dr Basit checks his phone – to see what the Slate tells him about treatment – and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests Madhuri's four-year-old son. His test has a negative report. The mohalla clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are synonymous with and, of course, to provide affordable healthcare to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July. So far they have set up 22. Which means they will probably miss their deadlines, but the clinics which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as immunisation centres for children, have certainly found a fan in Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier would take up almost two days, she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. "Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my mohalla clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100."

Delhi makes health check-ups easy with Swasthya Slate ? its one-stop medical test kit

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