Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday sought quick steps by the Centre to provide 1.56 crore special mosquito nets to the state to protect the people from malaria.
In a letter to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya, Health and Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari urged him to expedite the supply of 1.5 crore insecticidal nets (LLINs) to Odisha.
In his letter, Pujari said that the Centre had supplied 1.56 crore LLIN to Odisha in the year 2020-21 thereby protecting highly vulnerable people from malaria infection which led to showing a remarkable decline in malaria caseload in the state.
The efficacy of the LLIN is for three years and in 2023 these LLINs were due for replacement by the Centre, he said.
However, the same has been delayed unduly by nearly a year, which has made the state vulnerable to an increase in malaria cases, he said
“Under such circumstances, it is requested to kindly look into the matter for immediate supply of 1.56 crore LLINs to the state of Odisha to prevent a further rise in malaria caseload and to sustain the efforts made by the State in the reduction of the malaria burden in the country,” Pujari wrote in his letter.
