Raj reports zero dengue deaths in 17 months

Jaipur: Rajasthan has recorded zero dengue deaths for the past 17 months, marking a major public health milestone on National Dengue Day observed on May 16. According to health department data, the state’s dengue mortality rate has remained at 0%, a significant improvement from 2021 when 62 deaths were reported.

Officials said this is the first time since the launch of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in 2003 that Rajasthan has gone 17 consecutive months without a dengue fatality.

The state has also witnessed a steady decline in dengue cases over the past few years. Cases stood at 20,141 in 2021, 12,979 in 2022, 13,924 in 2023 and 12,514 in 2024. In 2025, the figure dropped to 4,335, while only 224 cases were reported till the first week of May this year.

Dengue-related deaths declined from 62 in 2021 to 10 in 2022, 14 in 2023 and five in 2024 before falling to zero in 2025 and 2026 so far. The case fatality rate also reduced from 0.31% in 2021 to 0% in the last two years.

Health department officials attributed the improvement to early detection, aggressive mosquito-control measures, enhanced surveillance, awareness campaigns and better clinical management. Measures such as regular fogging, larval source reduction, house-to-house inspections and rapid outbreak identification were intensified in high-risk areas. Hospitals and clinics were also trained to identify warning signs early and follow standard treatment protocols.

On National Dengue Day, the department launched awareness drives across the state under the theme “Jan Bhaagidaari se Dengue par Prahaar”, highlighting the role of public participation in dengue prevention.

Health and medical education minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said dengue control requires both govt intervention and community responsibility. Awareness rallies, cleanliness drives, larva surveys and source destruction campaigns were organised in schools, Anganwadi centres, medical institutions and public spaces in urban and rural areas.

Director of Public Health Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma urged residents to avoid water stagnation, clean and cover coolers and tanks, observe a weekly “Dry Day” and seek immediate testing if symptoms appear.