With dengue cases on the rise, the post of District Entomologists is lying vacant in more than 40 of the 45 Health Unit Districts (HUD) in Tamil Nadu. District Entomologists play a critical role in vector-borne disease control, and the existing vacancies may adversely impact the planning and monitoring of dengue control activities.
According to the Tamil Nadu Public Health Entomologists Association, 48 posts of the total 60 sanctioned posts of Senior Entomologists were vacant in the State. As a result, more than 40 HUDs were functioning without a District Malaria Officer/District Entomologist/Senior Entomologist. Each HUD has one District Entomologist, while there are senior entomologist positions in government medical colleges and at the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine.
A DPH source said the vacant posts of District Entomologists is one of the most serious concerns. “Entomologists play a critical role in assessing mosquito density, breeding patterns, vector indices and the effectiveness of control measures. A severe shortage of technical manpower inevitably raises questions about whether vector control operations are being guided by adequate scientific assessment,” he said.
He said that dengue control cannot be reduced to fogging and chemical application. “Without strong entomological surveillance, vector control risks becoming activity-driven rather than evidence-driven,” he said.
In fact, the association had already urged the State government and the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) to urgently fill the vacant District Entomologist posts, saying that the shortage could affect vector borne disease surveillance and control, particularly ahead of the Northeast monsoon.
It had raised the issue in July and submitted representations to the TNPSC, Health Secretary and DPH. The posts have remained vacant since 2024–2025 after no eligible candidates were available for promotion. Subsequently, the DPH proposed direct recruitment through TNPSC to fill 33 Senior Entomologist vacancies.
The TNPSC conducted the written examination under the Combined Technical Services Examination in July 2025 and completed the interviews in March 2026. Though the candidates’ marks were published, the final selection list is yet to be released as some candidates had approached the court over grievances relating to the recruitment. As a result, the vacancies, now numbering more than 40 across HUDs, remain unfilled.
The association said District Entomologists play a crucial role in vector-borne disease surveillance, prevention, monitoring and control, and assist District Health Officers for better implementation of the programme.
With climate change contributing to the spread of diseases such as dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and scrub typhus, the shortage of entomologists has affected district-level planning and monitoring, the association said. It warned that the upcoming northeast monsoon could further increase the risk of seasonal and vector-borne diseases.
The association urged the TNPSC to expedite the pending court cases and release the final results at the earliest. It also requested the State government and DPH to immediately fill the vacant posts to strengthen disease surveillance and control measures. It also pointed out that the TNPSC had notified another 13 Senior Entomologist posts for 2025-26. Officials of the DPH could not be reached for their response.
