Kerala's floating population renders it disease-prone

Experts highlight need to review health sector's priorities

Kerala is highly susceptible to disease importation due to its large NRI population, students pursuing overseas education and migrant workers.

While initial cases of Covid in the country were reported in Kerala through students pursuing education in China, the first case of monkeypox was also reported among Kerala NRI from the UAE.

Diseases like malaria, which was reportedly eradicated from the state, are witnessing a comeback due to the presence of a large population of migrant workers.

Even as the state health authorities maintain that it was due to the high alertness of the state’s healthcare system that diseases are detected at the initial stages itself, health experts highlight the need for reviewing the health sector’s priorities given the challenges posed by the floating population.

“Continuous surveillance and awareness targeting the floating population, proactive screening measures as soon as any disease outbreaks are reported in any part of the world and ensuring hygiene at the camps of migrant workers need to be given focus,” an expert said.

As per the Kerala government agency NORKA-Roots, the total expat population is around 40 lakh. The Centre for Development Studies found that 39% of Kerala NRIs were in the UAE.

Read | India's first monkeypox death reported in Kerala

Senior public health expert Dr V Ramankutty said considering the high floating population, the state needs to focus more on disease prevention strategies. The main aspect would be to further strengthen the surveillance systems at the grassroots levels.

“Earlier, the state used to focus on prevention activities. As a result, many diseases could be curbed. But now the focus seems to be more on increasing the hospital beds,” he said.

Health sector sources said around 600 malaria cases were detected in Kerala in 2020. But in 2021, there was a dip with over 300 cases being reported from the state. The study on migrant workers also revealed that 69% suffered from diseases like malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya and leptospirosis.

Benoy Petre, executive director of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, an NGO working among the migrant workers in Kerala, said even as initiatives like mobile health camps are being organised by the government for the labourers, they could cover only a small section of the population.