Kathmandu, March 10:

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) has started spraying against Malaria and Kala-azar in the high-risk Terai districts this year to check the mortality rate due to the disease.

“Even though the number of cases of both the diseases have reduced drastically, the EDCD is conducting a house to house spraying campaign against Malaria and Kala-azar in the areas of high risk,” Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director at EDCD, told this daily.

According to the EDCD, spraying against Malaria will be done in the selected areas of Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sinduli, Chitwan, Kavrepalanchowk, Sindupalchowk, Nawalparasi, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Dadheldhura districts.

The spraying drive for Malaria is expected to cover over 2.5 lakh people.

In 2003, 8,200 people had suffered from Plasidium vivax (PV) and 1,224 people from Plasidium falcifarum (PF, severe malaria), while in 2004, 4,181 people suffered from PV while 759 people suffered from PF. At the same time, 32 deaths were reported out of 2,229 kala-azar patients in 2003 and 15 deaths were reported among 1,526 kala-azar cases reported in 2004. The National Malaria Eradication Programme was launched in 1958 with the objective of eradicating the disease in a limited period.

The spraying for kala-azar will be done in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Udaypur, Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat and Bara. The EDCD conducts spraying for Malaria and Kala-azar twice a year. The first phase is held in March/ April and another in September/October.

New drugs

KATHMANDU: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has added three new anti-retrovirals and two anti malarials to the WHO list of prequalified medicines. According to a press release issued by WHO here today, Tenofovir and Efavirenz (of two different strengths) and Artemotil (also available in two different strengths) are crucial drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and malaria respectively and will provide greater choice of therapies in resource-poor countries. —HNS