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Come
summer and monsoon, and India will reel under the
scourge of infectious diseases such as malaria,
gastroenteritis, jaundice, cholera and the like. Malaria
is still a major force to deal with. It is a worse enemy
than AIDS even though it is AIDS that get more attention
in our times.
The magnitude of the problem can be known by the fact
that in 2003 alone 1.87 million cases of malaria and
1006 deaths were reported in India. In 2006 1.04 million
were affected and 890 deaths were reported. Thus,
malaria is more prevalent than H-IV/AIDS in India.
Malaria is a potentially life threatening disease, which
is transmitted by the infectious bite of the female
Anopheles mosquito. The disease produces fever,
headache, vomiting and other flulike symptoms.
Malaria symptoms are usually similar to the flu and can
include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue,
nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Symptoms may be mild,
especially if you have had previous attacks of malaria.
However, you should not ignore any symptom, even if
mild.
Malaria may quickly become a serious and difficult to
treat illness, requiring hospitalisation, and can be
fatal. If not promptly treated, malaria may cause coma,
kidney failure, and death.
In pregnant women, the disease poses a substantial risk
to the mother and the foetus. To fight malaria, it is
important that signs and symptoms of the disease should
be recognized early so that the patient can receive
prompt attention.
The government of India launched the National Malaria
Eradication Program (NMEP) in 1958. Under this program,
the government makes extensive use of local bodies for
fuller implementation. Realizing the difficulties in
eradicating malaria, the NMEP has been renamed as
National Anti Malaria Programme. Malaria is also covered
under the National Vector Borne Disease Control
Programme
Under the programme, the main aim is the reduction of
the disease to a tolerable level in which human
population can be protected from malaria transmission
with the available means. The government has also set up
Drug Distribution Centres and Fever Treatment Depots in
rural areas for providing easy access to antimalaria
drugs to the community.
Prevention using medicines Most parts of India have a
high transmission of P. vivax malaria and Chloroquine
resistant P. falciparum is reported from the
North-Eastern states of India. The high altitude states
of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are
free from malaria. Malaria transmission is low or very
low in areas at an altitude greater than 2000 metres.
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For
visitors to North Eastern India, Mefloquine is
recommended as the first choice and Chloroquine +
Proguanil as the second choice.
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For
visitors to other areas, Chloroquine + Proguanil is
advised. No prophylaxis is needed for visitors to
areas with low transmission.
Vector control - Follow-ing methods are adopted for
this purpose:
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Use
of indoor residual spray with insecticides
recommended
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Use
of chemical larvicide like Abate in portable water
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Aerosol space spray during daytime
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Malathion fogging during outbreaks
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Destruction of mosquito breeding sites
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Measures that individuals can take are as follows:
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Use
of mosquito repellent creams, liquids, coils, mats
and the like
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Screening of the houses with wire mesh
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Use
of bednets treated with insecticides
Every
year, several gospel workers fall prey to this deadly
disease. Let us make every effort to prevent such
instances. Write to mission agencies to find out what
you can do to help prevent malaria among their workers
who live in remote areas.
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