As malaria cases fall, a look at Tamil Nadu’s strategies for elimination

The reports of the World Health Organization and the Malaria Report of the Commonwealth have indicated that India will eliminate malaria by 2030. The number of malaria deaths has fallen significantly, with a better surveillance and access and medications.

Malaria, WHO, says, is a disease that loved humans for some types of mosquitoes. It is mainly found in tropical countries. It is prevention and curable. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person. Malaria can be avoided by avoiding mosquito bites and medications. Treatments can prevent mild cases.

How TN addresses its cases

In Tamil Nadu, during the last two years, only around 340 cases were reported, says Public Health Director TS Selvavinayagam. This change was possible due to constant surveillance, he adds. “When fever is reported, the entire area is under surveillance. All institutions must be notified of fever surveillance. This allows the Department of Health to obtain details about where the fever has happened, who is affected and in the place of what is in the place,” he explains.

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Then, the Health Department takes antimalarial routine activities. “Continuously to monitor the area for years together if it is a high -risk area,” he says.

The other anopheles mosquitoes that extend malaria in fresh water, coastal and dirty water. Four types of malaria are commonly found in the country: Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium falciparum, plasmodium ovale and plasmodium malariae.

“In Tamil Nadu we see two varieties of malaria commonly: vivax and falciparum. The latter is imported,” says former DPH K. Kolandaisamy. “The tanks, wells, riverside and quarries discovered are sources of reproduction,” he explains. Other areas include coconut forests and religious congregations such as Rameswaram.

Strategies to eliminate malaria

The malaria elimination strategy includes taking a patient peripheral blood smear. “A health inspector must carry a needle and a sliding box to collect blood rubbing; a rolle and an torch,” says Dr. Kolandaisamy. The last two elements would help the inspector identify the disease that causes mosquitoes. They must also have a chloroscope to verify if there is chlorine in the body of water, he adds.

All fever is proven by suspicion or malaria. If malaria is suspended to be imported (related to the trip), we request a travel history to help control the spread of the disease, says Dr. Kolandaisamy.

Health workers unfold to spray insecticides. Years of surveillance and advertising of the requirement to cover the upper tanks and the wells have resulted in the elimination of the mosquito reproduction places, says the doctor.

However, travelers introduce malaria in the state, says the public health expert. The variety of malaria falciparum extends through trips. The challenge lies in identifying the source of the infection, he says.

“The greatest challenge is the lack of health and health inspectors. The number of positions has been reduced. These are ‘invisible works’ of the public health sector. This invisible force, if it does not cool, could in Koland on the staff and lead to the avers.

Malaria in India

Between 2001 and 2020The cases of malaria decreased from 2.09 million to 0.19 million, recalls S. knows, senior epidemiologist. The cases of Plasmodium falciparum (considered more mortal) decreased from 1.0 to 0.12 million cases in the same period. The SPR (positivity rate of slide) decreased from 2.31 to 0.19 the SFR (falciparum sliding rate) decreased from 1.11 to 0.12 in 2020, he says.

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Up and Western Bengal continue to contribute a large number of cases.

In the southern region, the cases are relatively high in Andhra Pradesh, says Dr. Saban, who was former Director Gr. Scientist of the Control Research Center of the Medical Vector of the Indian Medical Research Council.

However, approximately in recent years, he says, the number of cases has increased again, indicating that the previous approach in surveillance has been reduced. Dr. Know warns that he could hinder the goal of eliminating malaria and requesting better surveillance and control strategies throughout the country.

Malaria, he says, can be eliminated if the government strictly adheres to: environmental sanitation; Carries out surveillance within the State and the country; It occupies the control surveillance of the vector of the interstatal board; It involves companies in public-private parties for the manufacture of networks and repellent and appoint trained public entomologists that can evaluate the strength of the vector and offer timely guidance to avoid the reservation of mosquito breeding and the spread of the disease. “We need an integrated approach. In urban areas we must point to both malaria and dengue, since the mosquito reproduction habitat is similar. In rural areas we must also point to Japanese encephalitis,” he adds.

While India is no longer in the High Impact initiative of WHO is the high impact load for malaria from 2024, it still has some way to go to eliminate its spot to eliminate malaria from the country by 2030, he says.