With 2 malaria cases, Ludhiana district second in Punjab

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 29

The district has reported only two confirmed cases of malaria this year so far, which are second highest in the state, the government has confirmed.

Lowest caseload

The malaria caseload in Punjab is lowest this year. The compilation of official data revealed that 109 cases were reported in 2020; 1,140 in 2019; 624 in 2018; 805 in 2017; 692 in 2016; 596 in 2015; 1,036 in 2014; 1,760 in 2013; 1,689 in 2012; 2,660 in 2011; highest-ever 3,476 in 2010; 2,955 in 2009; 2,494 in 2008 and 2,012 in 2007.

The incidence of malaria has registered a major decline in the state as only 14 cases were reported till June as compared to 109 cases logged in the state last year, the official figures have revealed.

The data analysed by the Health and Family Welfare Department, which is available with The Tribune, showed that Ludhiana, Ropar and Faridkot reported two malaria cases each, which were second highest after a maximum of three cases reported in Hoshiarpur till June.

While 13 districts, including Amritsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Mohali, Nawanshahr, Sangrur and Tarn Taran, reported no malaria case this year so far, five districts — Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Moga and Muktsar — reported one case each.

The rural-urban classification of the malaria cases reported in the state for six years suggested that the incidence remained maximum in rural areas.

This year, the rural areas reported 71 per cent, while urban areas logged 29 per cent of the total malaria cases so far.

In the past, 75 per cent rural and 25 per cent urban cases were reported in 2020, 82 per cent rural and 18 per cent urban in 2019, 78 per cent rural and 22 per cent urban in 2018, 77 per cent rural and 23 per cent urban in 2017, 71 per cent rural and 29 per cent urban in 2016 and 63 per cent rural and 37 per cent urban malaria cases were registered in the state in 2015.

The migrant and indigenous population break-up in the malaria cases reported in the state since 2015 showed that indigenous people remained more prone to the disease caused by a plasmodium parasite, and transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.

This year, 29 per cent migrant and 71 per cent local population was infected by malaria, while 38 per cent migrant and 62 per cent indigenous in 2020, 30 per cent migrant and 70 per cent indigenous in 2019, 37 per cent migrant and 63 per cent indigenous in 2018, 32 per cent migrant and 68 per cent indigenous in 2017, 16 per cent migrant and 84 per cent indigenous in 2016 and 9 per cent migrant and 91 per cent indigenous persons were infected by the disease in 2015.

Last year, Ludhiana had logged seven malaria cases, which were fifth highest in the state. Among other districts, Mansa had topped the state with highest number of 22 malaria cases in 2020, followed by Mohali 19, Hoshiarpur 16, Bathinda 12, Fazilka 7, Muktsar 6, Sangrur 4, Faridkot and Gurdaspur 3 each, Patiala, Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib 2 each, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Moga and Amritsar 1 each.

However, five districts — Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Barnala — had not even reported a single malaria case last year.

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