The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has launched a campaign to prevent monsoon-related diseases, primarily shigellosis.

Speaking to The Hindu, the Corporation’s health standing committee chairperson M.R. Gopan said the civic body would strengthen preventive measures in the coming days, including awareness campaigns and vector-control activities. Traditional methods such as fogging would also be made more effective as part of the district’s monsoon disease-prevention efforts, he added.

ASHAs will spearhead the campaign, working alongside public health workers and civic authorities.

Officials of the district health board have highlighted the growing threat of diseases such as dengue, leptospirosis, and shigellosis during the rainy season.

Shaji, a member of the health board, said, “We may not be able to prevent infection, but with care and mindfulness, we can definitely stop the spread.”

He advised residents against self-medication and to seek immediate professional help if symptoms persist.

The Corporation has identified blocked drains as the primary breeding ground for vector-borne diseases.

The civic body has tasked Municipal workers with visiting households to ensure that residents follow proper prevention protocols, including the clearing of garbage. ASHAs will persuade residents with fever and allied symptoms to visit hospitals, instead of self-medicating.

The Corporation has also organised a crash course for ASHAs and Municipal officials on disease prevention. “The class provided additional knowledge that would help us in our fieldwork, particularly at a time when monsoon-related illnesses are on the rise,” an ASHA volunteer said, adding that one of the biggest problems faced by them is that house owners do not let them in to check and survey homes.