JOIN USDakshina Kannada: More surveillance needed to check malaria transmission
District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer Dr Naveenchandra Kulal said surveillance needs to be increased further in Dakshina Kannada, for reaching out to the target of eradication of malaria by 2025.
Steps are being taken for stopping indigenous transmission through active control measures. A total of 33 malaria cases were reported in the district this year till the end of March. Of 33 cases, 30 were from Mangaluru City Corporation limits.
In 2019, as many as 2593 malaria cases were reported in MCC limits while the district had reported 2797 cases. “To check malaria cases and to create awareness among people, larvae survey is being carried out in the district. A total of 1,65,931 blood samples were tested for Malaria during 2021. Of which, 689 cases tested positive for malaria. In the year 2022 till March end, 1,20,507 blood samples were collected for testing malaria," Dr Naveenchandra Kulal said.
"Health personnel are visiting houses and are also carrying out field surveys. Awareness programme is a continuous drive. Malaria tests report using Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Kits are given within 20 minutes while the report is given within 10 minutes using quantitative buffy coat (QBC) technique for testing,” he added.
As many as 60 multi purpose workers (MPWs) in the MCC limits are visiting the houses to check on the stagnant water that give rise to the breeding of mosquitoes. Surveys are conducted among the migrant labourers for malaria in the MCC limits, he said.
The intensified malaria control activities are taken up in a mission mode prior to monsoon. As many as 45 volunteers are completely engaged in malaria control activities in MCC limits.
Dr Kulal urged the people suffering from fever to go for blood tests at the earliest, to ensure that the transmission of malaria is reduced.
Further, he said a mobile vehicle too has been arranged for testing for malaria. People can inform the health department on getting the symptoms to avail the services by dialing 9448556872. The blood samples are collected at the doorstep of the patients suffering from the symptoms of malaria.
He said surveillance is increased in those areas where malaria cases are traced. Guppy fishes are distributed among the general public to be used in the open wells, to check the breeding of mosquitoes. The construction sites are inspected regularly, to ensure that water does not remain stagnant at the site.
Further, Dr Kulal said that insecticide treated mosquito nets are distributed to the needy persons to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Anopheles Mosquitoes which is responsible for malaria bites in the night.
A high-level three teams from the centre had arrived in Dakshina Kannada recently to conduct study on malaria in the district. The teams have given suggestions to implement at the grassroots level to check the transmission.
Check out the latest DH videos here: