Sri Lanka to eliminate malaria by 2014

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

No malaria deaths were reported in 2010 or 2009 while only one death was reported in 2008 and 2007, Anti Malaria Campaign Director Dr S L Deniyage said.

Sri Lanka will eliminate malaria by late 2014. The main threat to Sri Lanka is from persons travelling abroad. The Health Ministry request the public to take drugs issued free before travelling abroad.

Persons travelling abroad and fall sick should get blood tested free of charge.

According to Dr. Deniyage the main threat pose to Sri Lanka is from persons coming from India (Tamilnadu), Liberia, Haiti, Pakistan, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria and Sudan. The persons who wish to travel to those countries should take relevant tablets issued free, from the AMC Headquarters, Public Health Complex, 5/555, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 5. In every month around 50,000 Malaria patients are detected in Tamilnadu. In 1934 around 82,000 Sri Lankans died from Malaria and there were 1.5 million patients. In 1986 there was one Malaria patient in every three fever patients. But this year (up to April 20) only 72 Malaria patients have been discovered. In 2010 there were only 684 malaria patients. Out of this number 52 had been infected while abroad. Around 66 percent of those 684 patients were from the Armed Forces. In 2009, only 558 Malaria cases were reported. Last year a high number of patients reported from Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Mannar, Hambantota and Moneragala districts, he said.

Security Forces, chena cultivators and gem miners in the dry zone are the most affected groups. Malaria mosquitoes breed in still or slowly moving clear water. The Health authorities were helpless when implementing malaria control programmes in the past because of the war situation prevailed in the country for three decades. But now these programmes are in full swing without any problems. The five year programme is launched with the cooperation of WHO at a cost of US $ 36 million from Global Fund.