Boosting the health care sector, the Jharkhand Government on 16th Foundation Day pledged to distribute 35 lakh long lasting mosquito nets among the beneficiaries especially those residing at malaria prone districts across the State. On the 16th State Foundation Day, Minister Urban Development CP Singh formally initiated the distribution procedure of mosquito nets to serve the need of the people. The government targets to distribute as many as 35 lakh long lasting Mosquito Nets among the people by the end of the year 2016.
“At present, the health department has 19.41 lakh mosquito nets available for distribution in malaria prone belts across Jharkhand. Around 16 lakh mosquito nets is provided to Jharkhand Government by the central government whereas rest 3.41 lakh mosquito nets is given to the Department of Health by the State government,” said, State vector borne control diseases nodal officer, Dr. Ramesh Prasad.
“With the motto to reach to maximum beneficiaries at malaria prone pockets, all these mosquito nets will be distributed at 850 health sub centres in 22 districts as per the available records of the worst hit malaria spots with the Department of health. At 22, Community Health Centres (CHCs) direct delivery has been done so far, following the State government guidelines few days back,” added Prasad.
Notably, according to the directorate of national vector-borne disease control programme, Jharkhand recorded 61,456 malaria cases this year till September and 28,745 cases of the more dangerous form of the disease caused by plasmodium falciparum (Pf), a protozoan parasite transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito.
Many cases also go unreported in the state.
In the year 2015, approximately 90,251 malaria cases and 47,603 cases of Pf malaria were recorded in Jharkhand. The state
reported 118 dengue and 20 suspected chikungunya cases till September 11 this year while last year the figures were 102 and 21.