Forces personnel top Malaria patients’ list last year

Nadira Gunatilleke

Out of the 500 malaria patients detected last year, the majority were Armed Forces personnel in North and East, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said. The spokesman said Sri Lanka will totally eradicate malaria by 2014 citing that in 2009 only around 500 malaria patients were found here while this number was half a million in 1994.

According to the spokesman, within 15 years, Sri Lanka has brought down the number of malaria patients by 98 percent. However, he said, malaria patients are still reported from Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Hambantota and Kilinochchi.

Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi are the most affected areas. This is because the malaria eradication program did not reach those areas during the last 30 years. Swift action was taken by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry and the National Malaria Control Program to control malaria among IDPs. Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria provide funds for Sri Lanka’s malaria eradication program.