Malaria almost extinct in SL

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

Around 210,000 malaria patients were reported in Sri Lanka in 2000. It has decreased to 1,800 now. Malaria is almost extinct in Sri Lanka now with a drop by 99.7 percent compared to the 2000 figure.

These statistics were revealed at a special summit in Colombo recently. Health Ministry Secretaries of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Timor participated in this summit to find ways of eradicating tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria from the South East Asian region and to lobby for more funds and technical assistance from the Global Fund.

It was also revealed that Sri Lanka has only 0.1 percent HIV, AIDS patients. There are five million tuberculosis patients in the South East Asian region. It is 40 percent of the total number of tuberculosis patients in the world. A majority among those affected are the middle aged. Around 3.5 million AIDS patients and 1,300,000 malaria patients have also been reported in the region, statistics revealed. AIDS and Malaria have not become a threat in Sri Lanka. But around 9,000 tuberculosis patients are still reported annually.

Sri Lanka received the chairmanship of the summit. It will be held by Health Ministry Additional Secretary Palitha Maheepala for the next two years.

This summit is to request more funds to eradicate diseases from the South East Asian region before the 26th Global Fund Board to be held next year.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Ministry Secretary Dr Ravindra Ruberoo and Global Fund's Manager Mauro Guarinieri also participated in the summit.