West Bengal health minister urges uniform change to prevent dengue
West Bengal's health minister, Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee, wants students to switch up their uniforms for a few months to help fight dengue.
From September to November, he's recommending long-sleeved shirts and pants for boys, and salwar suits instead of skirts for girls, basically, keeping arms and legs covered so mosquitoes have less skin to bite.
Circular expected for government schools
The government is likely to issue an administrative circular with these new guidelines for all government-run schools and is likely to encourage private schools to adopt similar precautions, although individual institutions will retain the final say.
Mukherjee called this a three-month experiment in prevention to protect kids during peak mosquito season, emphasizing that early action (and more coverage than just socks) can really make a difference.