Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 15
The malaria cases had significantly reduced in the Bastar region, once infamous for the deadly Maoist violence.
The development is seen as a major breakthrough. While it has come as a big respite for the people staying in the densely forested pockets, the security forces combating the rebels could also heave a sigh of relief. The jawans deployed in the jungles of Bastar were fighting mosquitoes on another front.
The state government spokesperson citing the annual parasite index rate of malaria said the rate of malaria cases in Bastar has come down from 16.49 per cent to 7.78 per cent. There has been over 50 per cent reduction in malaria cases in Bastar division.
According to the annual parasite index rate of malaria, the rate of malaria in Chhattisgarh was 2.63 per cent in 2018, which has come down to 0.99 per cent in 2023. Under the malaria eradication campaign, from 2020 to 2023, from the first to the ninth phase, the malaria positive rate has come down from 4.60 per cent to 0.51 percent.
The spokesperson said prevention of diseases like malaria has always been a tough challenge in Bastar division with dense forests and inaccessible areas, but despite this, the situation has also changed rapidly. In view of the rainy season, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has directed the state health department to take proactive steps to prevent diseases like malaria. The implementation has led to a significant reduction in malaria cases in the entire state including Bastar, which is a major achievement.
Chhattisgarh’s Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal is on a tour of Bijapur district on the instructions of the Chief Minister to intensify efforts towards malaria elimination during this rainy season. Of the total malaria cases in Chhattisgarh, 61.99 per cent come from Dantewada, Bijapur, and Narayanpur. The activeness of the Health Department in these districts and the work done under the direction of the Chief Minister has reduced the cases of malaria significantly.
The tenth phase of this campaign also ended on 5 July 2024. Under this campaign, 16.97 lakh insecticide-containing mosquito nets have also been distributed in 22 districts in the state. The Health Department has released the report of malaria cases in the first half of 2024, in which 1660 cases were reported in Bastar district, 4441 in Bijapur, 1640 in Dantewada, 259 in Kanker, 701 in Kondagaon district, 1509 in Narayanpur district and 1144 in Sukma.
Thus, the Health Department has taken steps to increase the surveillance of malaria cases and strengthen treatment facilities in all the districts. As per the instructions of the Chief Minister, the state government has appealed to the public to immediately go to the nearest health center and get timely treatment if symptoms of malaria appear. This reduction in malaria cases is a result of the vigilance of the government and public awareness. Due to the continuous efforts and public participation of the Chhattisgarh government, the state has made significant progress in controlling malaria, which is a big step towards the eradication of this disease in the coming times, the spokesperson said.
