State Health Systems Resource Centre Kerala - SHSRC K

16/05/2026

National Dengue Day—May 16

National Dengue Day is observed on 16th May every year in India to raise awareness about one of the country’s most pressing public health challenges: dengue fever. From the beginning of the monsoon season, the risk of dengue fever increases due to the favorable breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
The National Dengue Day 2026 theme is “Community Participation for Dengue Control: Check, Clean and Cover."
Check: Regularly check for stagnant water (coolers, flowerpots, tires).
Clean: Empty, scrub, and dry containers weekly.
Cover: Use mosquito nets, wear full-sleeved clothes, and apply repellents.
Dengue is the fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease in the world. Aedes aegypti mosquito—the primary vector of dengue
Appearance: Small, dark mosquito with distinctive white stripes on its legs and a lyre-shaped marking on its back.
Preventive measures against dengue:
●Avoid Water Stagnation
Do not allow water to collect in old tires, coconut shells, plastic containers, flower pots, buckets, or discarded materials around houses and public places.
●Cover Water Storage Containers Properly
Water tanks, drums, barrels, and other storage containers should always be tightly covered.
●Maintain Environmental Cleanliness
Dispose of waste properly and keep homes, schools, workplaces, and surroundings clean.
●Protect Against Mosquito Bites
Use mosquito nets and repellents and window screens, and wear full-sleeved clothing, especially during the daytime when dengue mosquitoes are most active.
●Seek Early Medical Care
Symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, body pain, pain behind the eyes, or skin rashes should not be ignored. Immediate medical consultation is important, and self-medication should be avoided.
●Strengthen Community Participation
Public cooperation through schools, ASHA workers, Kudumbashree groups, youth organizations, and local bodies is essential for effective dengue prevention activities.

05/05/2026

World Hand Hygiene Day 2026
SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands

Action Saves Lives

For 18 years, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has united the world to prevent life-threatening infections through hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC).
Why Hand Hygiene Matters
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect health systems daily, causing suffering, premature deaths, and fueling Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR). Yet many infections are avoidable through proper hand hygiene and IPC action.
WHO Commitments for 2026:
✓ Promote optimal hand hygiene using WHO's 5 Moments
✓ Integrate hand hygiene into national IPC action plans
✓ Establish hand hygiene compliance monitoring at all health facilities
✓ Improve WASH infrastructure (water, sanitation, waste management)
✓ Ensure safety and dignity for patients and health workers
Hand hygiene isn't just a habit; it's essential infrastructure for quality care. Now more than ever, IPC action is critical to achieving universal health coverage and protecting all.
Learn More: WHO Home | WHO Campaigns

30/04/2026

A one-day stakeholder workshop for the development of a Transgender-Inclusive Intervention Model for Vimukthi de-addiction centre was organized by the SHSRC Kerala on 24th April 2026. The event was inaugurated by Sri. Vinod Kumar S, Joint Excise Commissioner, who provided an overview of the Vimukthi programme run jointly by the Excise Department and H& FW department. The presidential address was delivered by Dr. V. Jithesh, Executive Director of SHSRC Kerala, who also moderated the workshop. A presentation of the project overview and key findings set the stage for detailed deliberations. The group discussions highlighted critical gaps and opportunities in ensuring equitable access to de-addiction services, focusing on thematic areas such as outreach and referral mechanisms through Transgender Community Link Workers (TG-CLWs), specialised consultations and services, rehabilitation and psychological support, follow-up care, and strengthening community support and awareness. The workshop brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Excise Department, Health Services, the National Health Mission (NHM),Social Justice Department, the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS),Transgender Community Link Workers and active community members

24/04/2026

The State Health Systems Resource Centre, Kerala (SHSRC Kerala), conducted a consultative workshop to design simulation exercises for pandemic preparedness mock drills under the guidance of Dr Rajan N. Khobragade, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.
Dr. Rajan N. Khobragade, ACS, the principal driving force behind this initiative, outlined the inception of the project, the progress made so far and the roadmap for advancing pandemic preparedness through structured simulation exercises. He also shared strategic guidance on scenario development and the overall design of the simulation framework.
The session was moderated by Dr V. Jithesh, Executive Director, SHSRC Kerala. Dr Jathavedus Mohanlal, Assistant Director, presented the concept note.
The workshop was attended by experts including Dr. Aravind A. (Professor & HOD, Infectious Diseases Department, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram), Dr. Harikumar S. (Assistant Director of Public Health, DHS), Dr. Dileep (District Surveillance Officer, Alappuzha), Dr. Rekha M. Raveendran (District Surveillance Officer, Kollam), Dr. Ajan M. J. (Assistant Director, Medical Health Administration,DHS), and Ms. Devika B. S. (District Hazard Analyst, KSDMA).
The workshop was coordinated by Dr Parvathy Thampy S., Research Coordinator, SHSRC Kerala. The workshop successfully initiated the development of a structured framework for pandemic simulation exercises and emphasized the importance of scenario-based preparedness planning for strengthening the state’s pandemic response capacity.

18/04/2026

11/03/2026

Application Invited..!

25/02/2026

അഭിമാനമായ് കേരള മോഡൽ...ദശാബ്ദത്തിന്റെ നേട്ടങ്ങൾ...കരുതലായ് കൈകോർക്കാം...ഹെൽത്തിയാണ് കേരളം!

25/02/2026

ആശാ സംഗമം 2026

ആശാ സംഗമം 2026ന്റെ ഉദ്ഘാടനം നാളെ രാവിലെ ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട ആരോഗ്യവകുപ്പ് മന്ത്രി ശ്രീമതി വീണാ ജോർജ് നിർവ്വഹിക്കും. തിരുവനന്തപുരം കനകക്കുന്ന് നിശാഗന്ധി ഓഡിറ്റോറിയത്തിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ചടങ്ങിൽ ആശ പ്രോഗ്രാമിന് കേരളത്തിൽ തുടക്കം കുറിച്ച മുൻ ആരോഗ്യവകുപ്പ് മന്ത്രി കൂടിയായ ബഹുമാനപ്പെട്ട പി.കെ.ശ്രീമതി ടീച്ചർ പങ്കെടുക്കും. എം.എൽ.എ വി.കെ പ്രശാന്ത് ഉൾപ്പെടെയുള്ള ജനപ്രതിനിധികളും ചടങ്ങിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കും.

21/02/2026

The 12th meeting of the Institutional Research Committee (IRC) was convened on February 18, 2026, in a hybrid format. The session was held in the presence of esteemed committee members: Dr Rakhal Gaitonde (Professor, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram), Dr Chintha S (Associate Professor, Prof (CAP) Department of Community Medicine, Govt Medical College Kollam), Dr. Soumya Gopakumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Govt Medical
College, Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Jathavedus Mohanlal, Assistant Director, SHSRC-Kerala and was coordinated by Dr. Parvathy Thampy (IRC Convenor). During the meeting, six research studies were presented.
The committee engaged in thoughtful and constructive discussions, offering valuable feedback to strengthen the scientific merit, methodological rigor, and contextual relevance of the proposed studies.