The Hindu : New Delhi News : Malaria claims 270 lives; dengue 15

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Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
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Malaria claims 270 lives; dengue 15

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: The country is in the grip of a severe spell of communicable diseases, with over 270 people having died of malaria and 15 of dengue. Chikungunya cases have also increased over last year’s figures.

The government says it is prepared to deal with any adverse situation.

“We have revamped our Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme and are focussing on endemic districts. The budgetary allocation for dealing with these diseases has also been enhanced,” Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told The Hindu on Monday.

Most of the malaria deaths have been reported from the endemic tribal belts in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The deaths reported from Kanpur are now confirmed to have been caused by malaria. Over 42 people, belonging to the Saharia tribal community, died of malaria in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh alone in the past one month, according to Shiv Lal, Additional Director-General of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.

A Union Health Ministry team that visited Kanpur confirmed that the deaths were due to malaria, he said.

The number of dengue cases crossed the 12,000-mark this year with 15 deaths, as against 69 deaths but only 5,534 confirmed cases last year.

Till Monday, 69,952 chikungunya cases were reported, up from 59,535 in 2007. Karnataka reported 45,157 cases and Kerala 24,247 so far.

Delhi hospitals alerted

Delhi has reported 72 cases of malaria and 60 of dengue, while Noida has seen an upsurge in the incidence of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. All hospitals in the capital have been asked to gear up for any outbreak and there is enough provision for supply of blood and blood platelets.

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