Odisha Clubs Malaria & Dengue Tests With Screening For COVID-19

Bhubaneswar: With screening for COVID-19 intensifying across Odisha, the state government has decided to utilise the opportunity to test people for malaria and dengue as well.

In this context, the government has directed health officials, ANMs, ASHA and anganwadi workers engaged in house-to-house surveys during the coronavirus pandemic to screen people for malaria and dengue symptoms.

“In case people are having fever without any flu like symptoms, we have asked the health workers to guide them for malaria or dengue tests. Along with COVID-19, we have already started malaria awareness activities that were hampered since mid-March due to the lockdown,” a health official was quoted as saying by the New Indian Express.

According to the official, the COVID-19 lockdown has affected the pre-monsoon activities that are usually carried out to check malaria in inaccessible pockets and high burden districts, including Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Sundargarh.

Odisha Lead of ‘Malaria No More’ Biswajit Mohapatra said the surveillance activities will be further accelerated once the lockdown restrictions are withdrawn.