Sri Lanka scores another first

Malaria virtually eliminated:

Chaminda PERERA

Sri Lanka has become the first country in the Asia Pacific region to bring the Malaria menace under control by eradicating 98 percent of the epidemic.

The malaria menace is on the verge of being wiped out from Sri Lanka with the number of Malaria cases going down from 269,000 in 1999 to 486 in 2009.

Over 50 percent of Malaria cases were reported from Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Moneragala districts last year and health authorities expect the number of cases will go down further within the next few months.

This was disclosed at an international forum organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Kandy yesterday.

Health authorities in the Asia Pacific region discussed the novel mechanism to eliminate Malaria from the region at this forum headed by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Sliva.

The WHO has recommended a special project to eliminate the Malaria menace in the Asia Pacific region and the Australian Government in association with the Global Health Group based in California will provide financial assistance for this project.

Over 60 representatives from Indonesia, South and North Korea, India and China participated in this forum.