Odisha Marches Towards Malaria Elimination; State’s Model Documented By WHO As ‘Best Practice’

Bhubaneswar: From a highly malaria endemic state to 90% reduction in number of positive cases in three years from 2016, Odisha has come a long way in checking malaria infections and fatalities.

The reduction rate of malaria infection in Odisha between 2018 and 2019 has been 40% against the national average of 17% during the same period.

This was revealed during an inter-departmental coordination meeting on prevention of vector borne diseases held on digital mode under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra. Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare Pradipta Mohapatra outlined the issues for discussion.

Reviewing the progress over the last years, Chief Secretary directed the departments to take all preventive steps for checking any possible outbreak of the disease during the current year. He directed to ensure preventive steps proactively in industrial and mining areas. The industrial houses were advised to develop their dedicated public health units with testing and surveillance facilities.

The Housing and Urban Development department was asked to break the breeding-cycle of mosquitoes by spraying the disinfectant liquids and releasing larvivorous fishes in all micro and small static water bodies of the urban and industrial areas.

Principal Secretary Information and Public Relations Bishnupada Sethi attended.

It was decided to undertake intensive awareness building activities by involving the district and block level Kalakar Sangathans. Focus will be on remote villages in hill tracks and forest areas.

Director, Public Health, Dr Niranjan Mishra presented the updates.

Among others, Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, Principal Secretary Industry Hemant Kumar Sharma, Principal Secretary Commerce & Transport Madhusudan Padhi, Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water DK Singh, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development G Mathivathanan, Director NHM Shalini Pandit and senior officials were present.