The Hindu 29.04.2010
State plans to supply insecticide-treated mosquito nets
Special Correspondent
| Government provides one bed net free of cost to each child born in PHCs |
“Mosquitoes will eliminated in all 55 villages in Thimiri panchayat union shortly”
A total of 15,24,939 malaria patients were registered in India in 2008
VELLORE: The supply of insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets to the residents with the objective of tackling the mosquito menace is under the consideration of the State government, according to K.S.T. Suresh, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), Vellore.
Speaking at an awareness programme organised jointly by the Field Publicity Office, Vellore, office of the DDHS, Vellore, and the Centre for Rural Poor (CRP) with the objective of making Thimiri a mosquito-free block, in connection with World Malaria Awareness Day at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Thimiri recently, Dr. Suresh said that the use of mosquito bed nets was a more healthy practice than the use of coils, mats and liquid mosquito repellents, and the government was providing one bed net free of cost to each child born in the PHCs.
The DDHS said that mosquito elimination activities are going on in full swing in Thimiri panchayat union in Vellore district from January 2010 onwards. One block in each district in Tamil Nadu has been selected for achieving the goal of a mosquito-free block. A total of 66 temporary field workers have been appointed in Thimiri panchayat union to achieve the goal in Vellore district. They were undertaking activities such as spraying of anti-mosquito chemicals, tying a net around the outlet of the septic tank pipe and creation of awareness through programmes in the villages of the block.
Dr. Suresh said that steps were being taken to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in the 4098 concrete sewage channels, 10,096 mud sewage channels, 695 tanks and 185 public wells present in the block. He said that mosquitoes would be eliminated in all the 55 villages in the Thimiri panchayat union and the same would be declared as a mosquito-free block shortly. A mosquito breeds 500 new mosquitoes during its lifetime of 30 days.
Therefore it is possible to tackle the problem of mosquito-borne diseases only by preventing the breeding of mosquitoes. Therefore, cooperation of the public is very essential to accomplish the task, he said.
Presiding over the programme, T. Sivakumar, Field Publicity Officer said that 330 crore people in 109 countries were prone to mosquito-borne diseases. A total of 15,24,939 malaria patients were registered in India in 2008.
The Government of India was implementing an urban malaria scheme in 131 towns since the mosquito menace was more in the urban areas than in the rural areas.
A total of 11.30 crore people living in these towns were benefiting by the programme. Africa accounted for 85% of the malaria deaths in the world and Asia 9.4%. A country suffered an economic loss of 1.3% per year due to malaria, he said.
Thimiri Block Development Officers A. Sooriyakala and R. Murugesan, Block Medical Officer Arumugam Parameswaran, Valayathur PHC Medical Officer Sumathi, Vilapakkam PHC Medical Officer R. Vikram Balaji and CRP Director S. Devakumar spoke. Dr. Suresh distributed the awareness leaflets to women's self-help groups.
