Kerala wins United Nations award for disease control

United Nations announced their Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) award this year which went to Kerala. In a virtual meet, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the award for Kerala’s outstanding contribution towards non-communicable diseases related sustainable development goals. One amongst the seven ministries of health across the world, this is the first time that the state was being recognized for this annual award.

This award is a recognition to the tireless efforts undertaken by Kerala in the field of health care. Initiatives have been taken in primary health centers and hospitals across the state to control spread of lifestyle diseases and its treatment. We were able to control lifestyle diseases and that is one reason why we could also control Covid death rates- KK Shailaja, Health Minister, Kerala.

Shailaja also congratulated all health care workers in the state for the achievement. The state government, in a release, said that the award was a recognition of lifestyle disease control mechanism adopted in the state.

The award recognises achievements in the year 2019 on the multisectoral action in the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health and the wider NCD-related sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Though Kerala was able to flatten the Covid curve in May, there was a rising number of cases in the state over past two months. Kerala was also amongst the first Indian states to report a community Covid spread. Over 1 lakh people have already been infected and more than 600 deaths have been reported from across the state.