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Malaria claims 270 lives in a year mostly in endemic tribal belts

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,” Union 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 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.

Dr. Ramadoss said each of the 400-450 malaria endemic districts and would now get an officer who would be responsible for early detection and prevention of the fever. The government was also running campaigns to create awareness among the people of such diseases, particularly in rural areas.

Importantly, Accredited Social Health Activists were empowered to deal with communicable diseases and the Village Health and Sanitation Committees had Rs. 10,000 each at their disposal for improving sanitation which alone can help in curbing the outbreak and spread of the diseases, the Minister said. Any other help the States demanded was being provided.

“However, problems still exist. Changing weather pattern and heavy rains do result in breeding of mosquitoes, and unhygienic sanitation conditions still prevail.”

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Malaria claims 270 lives in a year mostly in endemic tribal belts

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