Agencies
AGARTALA, NOVEMBER 8
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has supplied six lakh medicated mosquito net to Tripura as part of its malaria control mission in Northeast India, health minister Badal Choudhury said here today.
He also said National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDC) has identified Tripura as prone to malaria after conducting a comprehensive study across the state; Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have also vetted it.
Malaria has appeared as biggest killer in hilly parts of the state in past seven years. Besides, hill living tribals, paramilitary forces and BSF have the largest casualty in malaria and other vector borne and water related diseases in past few years, Mr Choudhury stated.
He said in last year more than two lakh people were affected in malaria and death toll was reported more than a hundred, mostly in Dhalai district and other adjourning areas. However, the spread of malaria and other diseases were controlled this time due to extra effort made by the state government along with adopting multi-prong strategies.
Apart from providing medicines, WHO have supplied long lasting inceptive mosquito nets, which will be distributed among the people living in villages and towns where problem of mosquito, bite incidences are high.
The mosquito will die if they sit on the net. But it would not be allowed to wash with detergent and other than cold water not more than 20 times and dry only outside sunlight. We have started educating the people living in the affected areas before distribution, Mr Choudhury stated.
He added medicine, saline and instant malaria parasite testing kits were sent in various primary health centres in the areas to contain the situation. The heavy rainfall and humid weather were the main reasons for spread of the diseases in hilly locations.
The entire Dhalai district had already been identified as malaria prone and become drug resistant.
The Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) categorised the state as Chloroquine (malaria drug) resistant a few years back and Salpha Pyramethamine Combination, second-generation anti-malaria drugs had been prescribed for the patients.
Plasmodium Falciparum (PF) component present in malaria affected patients and Chloroquinehad become inactive for long-sufferers. New chemoprophylaxis drugs had been supplied as an immediate measure, said health officials.
The Border Security Force (BSF) jawans, posted in the remote areas of Tripura, are now bogged down with the threat posed by the malaria spreading Anopheles mosquitoes. The force had already lost 40 men to malaria while a few thousands were detected as carrier of PF.
A total of 30 dengue cases was reported this year from January to October last, among them 12 cases are such who came with the disease from other states however, there are report of no death.
The health minister said during survey Agartala city Aedes mosquitos carrier of dengue wasfound in AC, as precaution measures anti larva spraying started from November 2 last, besides awareness of health workers done and every day reports are summoned from health institutions.
Moreover, as many as 23 Japanese encephalitis cases were reported this year so far, of which four deaths occurred, however, there is report of 94 deaths out of 46,163 malaria patients.
