Malaria claimed 1,283 lives in 13 dists in 3 yrs

BANDARBAN, Jan 3: At least 1,283 people died of malaria in the last three years in 13 most malaria-vulnerable districts of the country, while about 1,80,000 people were so far affected during the period, reports BSS.

From January 1997 to November 1999, about 1,87,000 people were affected by the deadly disease across the country. Of them at least 1,80,000 were the inhabitants of the 13 border and hill districts, sources at the Health Directorate told.

About one crore people of Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Kurigram, Netrakona, Sherpur, Hobiganj, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar have been living with the risk of this malignant disease.

Following the malaria disaster in the districts, the Health Directorate has taken a pilot project to check the death toll and get rid of massive malaria fever.

As part of the initial step of the two-year project, a two-day workshop on "Malaria Prevention Strategy at District Level" was held here on December 29 to fix the operational strategy for removing malaria from the country, especially from the unprotected areas.

Civil Surgeons of the 13 districts, Thana Health and Family Planing Officers of 21 thanas researchers of the "Malaria Research Group" of Chittagong Medical College attended the workshop, first of its kind in the country.

Prof Ahsan Ullah, Director General of Health, said that the pilot project, sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), would be formally launched from next February.

"If the project was implemented, death toll due to malaria would be reduced significantly and risk of malaria would also be eliminated among the people of these 13 districts," he added.

Under the project, steps will be taken to provide quick medicare facilities to the affected people and the mosquito nets of the inhabitants of the 13 districts would be sprayed by delta methaprine medicine.

Primarily, programmes for preventing malaria diseases will be taken in seven thanas of Bandarban district and three thanas of Cox's Bazar district, while the remaining thanas would be brought under the project in phases.