Malaria Control Programme Extended To 2030 In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Continuing its mission to eradicate malaria, the state government on Tuesday decided to extend its malaria control programme upto 2030-31. The decision was taken at an inter-departmental coordination meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy.

The meeting decided to procure 20 lakh chemically treated mosquito nets for “high burden areas” in the state. The chief secretary stressed on the capacity building of community and frontline workers like Goan Kalyan Samiti, ASHA and ANM workers and SHGs.

Keeping the monsoon ahead and prevalent COVID-19 situation in view, the chief secretary asked the Health and Family Welfare department to prepare an integrated information, education and communication model for vector-borne and water-borne diseases as well as coronavirus.

The state government has claimed that its ‘DAMaN’, the malaria control programme in inaccessible areas, has been successful. Special Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department Shalini Pandit said the state recorded 81 per cent decline in malaria cases in 2018 which further came down by 41 per cent in 2019.