WEST TRIPURA: Tripura Health Secretary Kiran Gitte said that the state health department has launched a comprehensive drive to eradicate malaria by 2027. As a part of the drive, the state government has undertaken multi-pronged initiatives that include the testing, treatment, and distribution of preventive medicines and protective gear.
The state government had identified 126 villages comprising 700 localities that are considered to be endemic zones for malaria. "The total population living here is around 3.5 lakh people. This target population will be tested, for sure. Apart from that, 9.5 lakh treated mosquito nets are going to be distributed this season," Gitte added.
According to him, rubber tappers and the Jhumia population of the state are more prone to the vector-borne disease. So, special care shall be undertaken for people belonging to these two categories through distribution of preventive medicines. For household testing, ASHA and Anganwadi workers have been imparted special training. According to health officials, in the last few years, the cases of malaria have been in gradual decline. Last year, deaths due to the dreaded disease were in the single digits.
World Health Organization (WHO) says that the staggering impact of malaria on Southeast Asia and India has once again come to the forefront. With an estimated 300–500 million cases globally each year, malaria remains a pressing concern, particularly true in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The WHO's findings reveal that a whopping 90 percent of the global burden of malaria rests squarely on Africa's shoulders. However the situation in Southeast Asia is also dire. Approximately 1.2 billion people are exposed to the risk of malaria across 11 countries in the region. Out of these, India alone contributes 70 percent of the reported cases. This adds around 2.5 million instances to global malaria burden.
Delving deeper into India's malaria landscape the report highlights more than two-thirds of the country's population reside in malaria-prone areas. States such as Orissa, Jharkhand West Bengal, North Eastern States Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh emerge as hotspots for malaria transmission. Tragically, the brunt of malaria-attributable mortality is felt in Orissa and other forested regions inhabited by ethnic tribes.
Also Read: What malaria costs India (sentinelassam.com)
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