Which Diseases Could Threaten You Each Month? Keralam’s New Calendar Has the Answer

In a move to strengthen disease prevention and improve public awareness, the Keralam Health Department has released the state’s first-ever infectious disease prevention calendar, outlining month-wise health risks, warning signs and preventive measures to help people stay alert and curb outbreaks.

Prepared by experts from the department’s high-power committee, the calendar identifies diseases relevant to different months, explains their symptoms and modes of transmission, and offers guidance on how individuals and communities can reduce the risk of infection.

Health Minister K Muraleedharan released the calendar at a function in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. He said health workers, including health inspectors, would visit households across their respective areas to educate people about infectious diseases and promote preventive practices.

The department also plans to expand awareness activities beyond areas already reporting outbreaks. Muraleedharan said an order issued by the previous LDF government had restricted such campaigns to places experiencing disease outbreaks. The department would now correct that approach and widen its preventive outreach, he added.

Emphasising that disease control cannot rest with the Health Department alone, the minister called for coordinated action involving other government departments and the public. The calendar is intended to help align these efforts and encourage people to take timely precautions rather than wait for infections to spread.

The calendar will be made available to people across the state and published on the Health Department’s website, making the information accessible to households and communities.

Officials noted that although the scientific community has a clear understanding of how infectious diseases spread, this knowledge has not reached everyone. The gap in public awareness can weaken preparedness and undermine efforts to prevent outbreaks.

S S Lal, chairman of the high-power committee, said the initiative aims to improve public understanding, strengthen disease prevention and encourage people to seek medical attention promptly when symptoms develop.

The calendar is based on currently available scientific information and will be updated as new evidence emerges, ensuring that its guidance remains relevant as knowledge about infectious diseases evolves.