WHO to declare SL as Malaria free country

Nadira Gunatilleke

A team of specialists from the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited Sri Lanka to formulate the final report on the country's Malaria elimination status. WHO will soon name Sri Lanka as a country that eliminated malaria, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said the team of specialists was in Sri Lanka from February 18 to 23 and conducted their study in the Hambantota, Jaffna and Anuradhapura districts.

They visited state hospitals, MOH offices, laboratories and also met the public. They will draft the final review report.

"The team of specialists is headed by Dr. Chusak Prasattisuk. Dr. M. Rahman, Dr. P.L.Joshi,Dr. L. Otega and Dr. Dick Clayton are the other members of the WHO team. A special discussion was held in connection with the final review at the National Blood Centre, Colombo 5 with the participation of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and other ministry officials. Minister Sirisena pointed out that in 1937, over 80,000 persons died in Sri Lanka within a period of six months from Malaria but this year only three Malaria cases were reported in the country, " he said.

In 1937, over 1.3 million malaria cases were reported from Sri Lanka and it was only 23 in 2012 but 70 cases reported among the persons who arrived Sri Lanka from foreign countries.

Only three cases were reported during past three months but 20 cases arrived from foreign countries.