Mosquito DAMaN for 10 more years in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR:  The State Government on Tuesday decided to extend the Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN) scheme, an Odisha initiative for elimination of malaria in remote areas, for 10 more years till 2030-31. The scheme was launched in the State in 2016 for five years. The decision was taken at the Inter-departmental Coordination Committee meeting on vector and water (V&W)-borne diseases held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy here.

The meeting further resolved to install ELISA machines in all the district and sub-divisional headquarters hospitals and set up State referral laboratories in four new medical colleges for all types of pathological tests. The three-old medical colleges and hospitals of the State have these facilities. The Fisheries Directorate was asked to upscale implementation of biological control of diseases through larvivorous fish by constructing more number of mother and mini hatcheries for this species in high burden districts to support vector control measures. It was also decided to distribute 20 lakh more insecticidal mosquito nets for high burden CHC areas.

The State has made spectacular progress in containing V&W-borne diseases in the last couple of years due to targeted intervention. A major public health concern, the State recorded 81 per cent decline in malaria cases during 2018 which further reduced by 41 per cent in 2019. The total malaria positive cases of 3,47,860 with death toll of 24 in 2017 has been brought down to 66,311 with three casualties in 2018. Though 39,500 cases were reported in 2019 there was no casualty. Around 11,302 cases with one death were reported till April 2020.

The annual parasitic incidence (API) per 1000 population was 10.06 in 2017 which came down to 0.88 in 2019. Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts have been nominated for national award for ‘no malaria case’ in the last two years. “Presently, 23 districts of the State are on fast march towards elimination of malaria. The API rate in these districts is below one per thousand population in the last two years,” said Special Secretary, Health Shalini Pandit.

Director, Public Health Ajit Mohanty said integrated intervention will be made in 32 blocks of Malkangiri, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Ganjam and Gajapati districts. The Chief Secretary directed the Health department to workout an integrated IEC model for V&Wborne diseases with Covid-19 and intensify the campaign in both rural and urban areas before monsoon.