The Mangaluru City Corporation has formed 11 Multi-Purpose Workers’ (MPW) teams, each consisting of six to eight members, to check malaria in the City. The corporation is also set to launch a new mobile application (app), within a month, for further monitoring of the disease.

Speaking to media persons during the launch of the teams at the corporation building in the City on Monday, MCC Health Standing Committee president Prakash B Salian said that malaria cases had decreased in the city compared to last year. In July last year, 1,500 malaria cases were reported in the city and this year it has decreased to 957. However, the number of cases should decrease to 10 per cent, he added.

The MPW teams have the responsibility to create awareness about cleanliness and Mangaluru should be one among the 10 cleanest cities of the country, Salian said. To create awareness about waste management among public activities like street play will be conducted.

The MPW comprises staff from revenue, engineering and various departments trained for creating awareness about malaria among people. They will visit around 178 sites in the city, which means that each team will visit to seven to eight sites, Salian added.

There will be seven supervisors to guide the teams. Each team will be provided with a vehicle, ID cards and anti-malaria kits. All places including construction sites need to be visited, mobile numbers, address will be provided to the team leader. They have to report to the malaria cell of the corporation after the visit, he said.

The preliminary test on malaria app has been conducted. The app, which will help to click the photo of the site and send it to the corporation office, would help officials to monitor the process from the office. A training camp will be soon held for lab technicians, MPW and supervisors, Salian added.

National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme District Officer Dr Arun Kumar said that as mosquitoes can produce larvae within a week in stagnant water, spray should be done at least once in a week. People should take waste management seriously.

Vacant sites can also become breeding sites for mosquitoes, so people should keep vacant sites clean, he said.