Dengue, chikungunya: What did India do wrong?

For the past fortnight, reports of dengue and chikungunya outbreak have come from across the country. By current estimates, 13 lakh Indians suffer from chikungunya and 3,000 suffer from dengue.

Both diseases are mosquito-borne. Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever transmitted by infected mosquitoes, while dengue is similar to flu.

So far, Kerala and Delhi have been the most affected with chikungunya and dengue respectively. There has been a nation-wide debate on how to stop the spread of these diseases and how to cope with the increasing number of cases. All the while, the government has maintained that these are not yet epidemics.

Has someone you know been affected by dengue or chikungunya? Do you think treatment has been easily available and effective? Is the government doing enough to fight these diseases?

Tell us.