AGARTALA, January 2 (TIWN): Gandacherra administration to stage an awareness campaign on January 3 to contain the fresh malaria outbreak at Ratannagar Thamnipara under Gandacherra sub division. On it’s another move, the concerned administration also to stage a cleanliness drive at Ratanmoni ADC Village area where the poultry and piggery ranches will be evacuated, said Gandacherra SDM Bhaskar Das Gupta.

Talking to TIWN today the Gandacherra SDM Bhaskar Das Gupta said that following the fresh malaria outbreak at Gandacherra Ratannagar Thamnipara that killed at least 3 children, the administration to stage an awareness camp at the effected villages and along with on its another move cleanliness drive will also be held to evacuate the existing poultry and piggery ranches at Ratanmoni ADC villages. The awareness camp will be held on January 3, said Das Gupta. Adding to that he said that during their drive the entire villages will be cleaned to restrict further malaria outbreak.

Asked about the current status of the malaria outbreak that killed at least 3 children, Mr. Das Gupta said that till now at least 40 villagers has been blood tested where 15 has been detected with malaria fever. The health camp is in progress, said Das Gupta.  

After the killings of 3 children were reported the concerned administration has instructed the doctors to visit all the nearby areas and to conduct blood test of persons of the nearby areas. Moreover, the health workers and ASHA workers are asked to visit different areas and create awareness among the people regarding the disease, Bhaskar Dasgupta mentioned earlier.  

According to the official figures as many as 450 malaria PF cases were reported from Gandacherra within November 20 to December 9.While 60-80 malaria cases were reported from Longtharai subdivision during the period.

According to a report of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), over 80 people have died from malaria in Meghalaya this year. All the northeastern states, besides West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, are highly malaria-prone. Over 100 people die every year from the disease in the seven northeastern states, excluding Sikkim. According to NVBDCP, malaria claimed 1,018 lives in 2010 in India, 754 in 2011, 519 in 2012, 440 in 2013, and 350 so far this year.