Sri Lanka and Maldives have banished malaria. But large parts of India have remained victims of vector borne disease. Chickenguniya has added to the misery caused by malaria and dengue. The reason is that health systems in India are vulnerable. The country needs to prioritise and emphasize preventive measures. The first step should be a well-organised public health system which should curtail the damage cause by endemic disease. More attention should be paid to Swachch Bharat and supply of safe drinking water, two of the essentials to ensure welfare according to Amartya Sen. Finance should not be a serious deterrent. The Swachch Bharat scheme itself raises huge resources for sanitation. What is needed is vision and accountability.
Endemic disease does great harm to the economy. The effect can be seen in Delhi where infrastructure projects have slowed down as a result of depletion in the labour force. Add to that the pathetic state of governance which is true of the whole of urban India. It is fanciful to talk of smart cities. Swachch Bharat or relief from vector borne disease is also an unrealistic goal if governance is in bad shape. There cannot be any real accountability if there is no clear chain of command. India is a country of sloganeering which adds up to nothing. Sri Lanka and Maldives have shown the way. The annual pestilence can be anticipated and duly prevented. Of course, it can be possible if only powerful politicos show the will to get things done instead of trading accusations among one another.
