Nagaland on track to become ‘Malaria Free State’: Health Minister

March 19, 2023 28 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 19

Nagaland state’s new Minister of Health & Family Welfare, P Paiwang Konyak on Saturday stated that through the National Vector Borne Control Programme (NVBCP) of the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), Nagaland has been progressing steadily towards becoming malaria free as the state reported zero deaths from the disease since 2017 and 7 out of 16 districts have not detected any positive cases last year. This also included the three districts of Mokokchung, Longleng and Zunheboto who have continued to report zero positive cases for the last three years.

Speaking during the final leg of the three-day High Level Regional Review-cum-dissemination meeting 2023 held at Niathu resort, Chümoukedima on March 18, the health minister attributed the favourable decline in the number of cases to the support given by the Global Fund and the Directorate of NCBDC, Government of India in providing much needed supply of bivalent RDT and LLIN (Long lasting insecticide net), better capacity building of health workers, microscopy centres and other infrastructure including financial support from the state.

“Looking back in the year 2009, Malaria health workers under NVBDCP Nagaland detected 8489 malaria cases and in the same year 35 lives were lost to this dreaded disease,” he noted.

Nevertheless, with the state set to achieve the tag of “malaria free state,” the health minister stated that new activities have been initiated such as intensive screening of suspected malaria cases along international borders of Myanmar; including the interstate borders, screening of paramilitary forces, migrant workers and labourers and will continue to be carried out.

With the emergence of other vector borne diseases such as Japanese Encephalitis and Dengue, he remarked that, “Our aim here is to be more alert, cautious and to identify early signals to help prevent any further spread or prevent any mortality and morbidity that may arises.”

Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, in his welcome address mentioned that the last regional meeting hosted by Nagaland was in the year 2016. That same year in February, the Malaria Elimination Programme was launched by then Union Health Minister JP Nadda.

With the country on the road toward malaria elimination by 2030, he stressed on need to have constant coordination, cooperation, confidence and contribution with all stakeholders involved. “We also need awareness campaign, cleanliness drive involving all section of the people,” he added.

In addition, he revealed that Nagaland’s darkest period of witnessing high malaria positive cases and mortality rate was during late 1980 & 1990. The highest death of 75 was in 2006 and 8489 positive cases reported in 2009, he said.

“But by the grace of God and support of the GOI and involvement of all concerned today; Nagaland is the lowest malaria positive cases in the North East Region (NER),” he observed.

During the meeting, speeches by officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), GoI were also given. This included, Dr Tanu Jain, Director of NCVBDC, MoHFW who briefed about the previous two days activities with various dignitaries. She mentioned that zero indigenous cases were reported in eight districts of Nagaland in the year 2022 along with six in Assam, thirteen in Arunachal Pradesh and twelve districts in Manipur.

Meanwhile, except for Tripura and Mizoram, all states under the programme had an Annual Parasite Index (API) of <1.
The three-day meeting was attended by the representatives of the ten projects states namely, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.