Malaria cases on decline in Faridabad this year

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 25

Much to the relief of the Health Department, the number of malaria cases has declined sharply this year as only 30 positive cases have been reported till date. It is the lowest figure of the vector-borne disease in the district in the past six years.

“With the rainy season about to end in two weeks, the number of such cases is not likely to spurt in a big way, as the problem of waterlogging, which leads to the generation of malarial larvae, is likely to subside soon,” sources in the Health Department said.

“The number of malaria cases was recorded at 95 on the corresponding day last year, which was more than three times as compared to this year,” said Dr Ram Bhagat, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and in charge of the malaria cell of the department.

He claimed that the number of such cases had declined due to increased awareness and the active role of health workers. He said that the department had engaged additional 60 workers, who not only visited prone areas but also prepared blood test slides of persons reporting fever these days.

He said that notices had been issued to over 1,100 persons on whose premises the presence of mosquito larvae had been detected in the past three months.

“No positive case of dengue has surfaced in the district till date,” he said, claiming that it was quite an achievement as the cases of dengue last year had risen to 59. Fogging and spray of temephos liquid had been done in villages where malaria and dengue had been prevalent for the past few years, he added.