Fall in malaria cases in last three years, says health dept

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 25

With the state and the district being in the pre-elimination phase in terms of the endemic diseases, malaria seems to be one of the rare problems in which the health authorities are reporting a downturn. While this year so far, there has been no case as per health department, in the past three years and the disease has seen a reduction.

Even though a couple of deaths from malaria fever have been reported in the media, officially the health department maintains a zero death stance for the past three years.

Additionally, while many of the areas have seen a rise in diseases and problems posed by mosquitoes, specifically in terms of malaria, the health department claims a major success in keeping the cases down. In 2013, there were as many as 32 positive cases of malaria in the district, in 2014 there were 20 positive cases of malaria in the district, in 2015 there were 10 positive cases in the district. On the flip side, however, dengue has been seeing constant rise with as many as 1,047 positive patients having been reported in 2015 alone.

This year, department officials said to counter the spread of the disease various steps were being taken.

District Epidemiologist Dr Satish, said, “We are pursuing active and passive surveillance to minimise Malaria risk and cases among residents. While under active surveillance door to door checks are made and awareness is spread among residents, as per passive checks, the patients with history of fever or those reporting at hospitals as suspects are effectively pursued and treated.” “It’s a great relief and happy news for us that Malaria is witnessing a downward trend in the entire state. It is presently in the pre-elimination phase. In Punjab as well as Jalandhar, a dramatic reduction in patients is being witnessed every year. Last year merely 10 patients were reported positive with Malaria. Across the state also, in 2014 there were 1096 patients and in 2015 they were reduced to merely 500 plus patients. So there was a 50 per cent decrease. While Malaria is most common and cases are reported in endemic proportions from the Mansa, Muktsar and Bathinda districts every year, last year even in these, the cases were in much reduced proportions. Though the disease shall stick on even for some coming period say at least until 2020, but eventually we are hoping for its complete eradication in the state,” he said. Speaking on dengue, Dr Satish said, “Dengue works in a cyclic pattern just like measles and an outbreak is anticipated after every two to three years. However, health teams are doing their best to counter the frequency of the disease in the district.”

He also said steps were being taken to spread awareness among people in areas where mosquitoes are great in number and to educate residents to avoid accumulation of water in their surroundings to prevent breeding. And to additionally keep the high risk groups like pregnant mothers and children well informed on the causes and spread of malaria.

On World Malaria Day today a seminar was also held at the local civil hospital under civil surgeon Dr. Kailash Kapoor in which it was stressed that residents should pay attention to keeping their surroundings clean and dry and to avoid accumulation of water in scraps, old tires etc.