Odisha To Intensify Malaria Elimination Scheme In 8 Districts

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, on Monday, directed the concerned officials to intensify state sponsored malaria elimination scheme named DAMAN in eight remote districts from the month of May this year.

Holding a review meeting over the progress of the scheme, Padhi assured that state government would provide the required fund for the purpose from its resources.

It was informed in the meeting that Odisha strides ahead in malaria control and prevention. The conditions in 8 districts have improved.

Padhi also directed the health and family welfare department to ensure availability of malarial medicines at PHCs and health centres and cautioned the department that no person should be deprived of getting medicine in time.

Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan, Joint Director of health while presenting the national survey figures said that conditions had improved significantly in 8 coastal districts where Annual Parasite Incidence (API) per 1000 population is less than 1.

Looking to block level API data, it was decided to move to elimination phase in 3 districts namely Puri, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur. Other five districts namely Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Cuttack and Khurda, would move to pre-elimination phase.

Health and family welfare joint secretary Surjit Das said that the scheme DAMAN is an innovative and integrated approach to control and prevention of malaria.

It was decided in the meeting that the implementation of the scheme would be intensified in 8 districts which have reported more than 10 API. These districts include Gajpati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada. An amount of Rs.25 crore has been estimated to be spent for the purpose. The services to be provided would include diagnosis, treatment, intensive mass awareness, behavioural change communications, haemoglobin test, nutrition test, the supply of medicines, etc.

 The meeting further decided to set up 25 entomological units in various districts including five municipal corporations to address malaria and other vector-borne diseases including dengue, chikungunya, etc.

It was also decided that around 1.52 crore LLI nets would be procured from Global Fund for TB, AIDS & Malaria ( GFTAM)  control through Govt of India within six months. This would meet immediate requirement of the state. Besides, the ongoing programmes like indoor residual spray, diagnosis and treatment within 24 hours would also be intensified.