VISAKHAPATNAM: Only seven died of malaria up to July this year and the total number of 2,227 deaths during the period in the agency area conformed to the normal rate, District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) P. Rama Rao clarified on Saturday.

Addressing mediapersons, he referred to the report of the special officer of National Human Rights Commission K.R. Venugopal, who had mentioned in his report the figure of 2,227 deaths in Visakhapatnam agency region from January to July this year.

The figures

``In fact, I supplied him this figure. I was with him throughout his visit to the agency. My figures were cross-checked by the NHRC,'' he claimed.

Considering the natural death rate of nine for every 1,000 per annum, the deaths were not unusual as the tribal population was about 5.5 lakhs. If all the deaths were due to malaria as reported by a section of the media, then what about the natural deaths? he wondered.

Giving a break-up of the deaths, Dr. Rama Rao said that 139 infant deaths, five maternal, one malaria (other six deaths were recorded in hospitals in the plain area), two diarrhoea, 107 cardio vascular, one typhoid, two malnutrition, 112 heart diseases, 53 TB, 111 jaundice, 30 paralytic, four by snake bite, 32 poisoning, 93 in road accidents, 121 due to fits, 156 acute appendicitis, 54 due to upper respiratory infection, 102 due to asthma common in high altitudes, 680 due to old age and 414 due to other diseases were recorded in the agency area during the seven months.

One-third of the malaria positive cases were recorded in zone 1 comprising Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts and 80 per cent of these cases were in the agency area, he said and also recalled that during 1999, there were 30,000 malaria positive cases and six deaths.

This year, only 6,900 malaria positive cases were detected, he claimed.

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