Background
The Ministry of Health convened a technical working group to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidance on prevention, care and management of dengue among pregnant women, with the process led by State Secretary Assoc. Prof. Um Sithikar on 31 July 2026. The Ministry of Health’s technical working group for maternal and child health leads drafting of clinical standard operating procedures and guidance for dengue care in pregnancy.
Draft SOPs are intended to integrate clinical, emergency and laboratory functions across maternal, neonatal and paediatric services and to define roles and responsibilities for participating institutions. Standard operating procedures define clinical steps for prevention, triage, and management of dengue among pregnant patients in health facilities.
Scope of Application
The SOPs and guidance under preparation target clinical and operational procedures for prevention, triage, clinical care, referral and reporting related to dengue in pregnancy within public maternal and child health services and referral hospitals engaged in the national maternal health network. The working group identified coordination across obstetrics, emergency care, anaesthesia, neonatal services, laboratory services and national blood services as necessary elements of the SOP framework.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Participants discussed and proposed the core components to be reflected in the SOPs and guidance, including:
- Classification and triage: pregnant women with fever should be classified as high-risk pregnancy cases with a red-code alert where clinically indicated.
- Multi-disciplinary care pathways: strengthen multidisciplinary teams linking obstetrics, emergency care, anaesthesia, neonatal care, paediatric services, laboratory diagnostics and national blood centres to ensure coordinated clinical management.
- Fluid and blood management: emphasise correct fluid resuscitation protocols and preparation of blood products according to clinical need.
- Delivery decision-making: base mode and timing of delivery on the woman’s clinical status and obstetric indications.
- Monitoring and reporting: enhance surveillance and reporting mechanisms to ensure timely data flow into national programmes.
Implications for Compliance
Health facilities and clinical teams participating in the maternal and child health network will need to align existing clinical protocols and referral pathways with the forthcoming SOPs to ensure consistent triage, treatment and reporting for dengue in pregnancy. The guidance will require coordination across hospital departments and national programmes for maternal, neonatal and communicable disease control, including data reporting to national systems.
Official Source
Source: Ministry of Health Facebook post, 31 July 2026 — available at the Ministry of Health’s public message on the workshop and technical working group meeting (link provided).
