BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is witnessing a spike in malaria incidence, thanks to non-distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in endemic zones of the State.
LLINs, which have been an effective frontline protection measure against mosquito bites, have not been supplied in malaria-prone districts since around 2012-13 and have outlived their utility, thus exposing the population to the disease once again.
According to sources, the increasing trend has become marked since 2014 and is rising steadily. While malaria afflicted 3,88,451 persons and claimed 73 lives in 2014, preliminary analysis has shown around 7 per cent increase with nearly four lakh cases detected in 2015.
Though health officials attribute the numbers in 2015 as normal resulting out of significant increase in testing and case detection activities at the grassroots-level, they have also conceded the expiry of existing LLINs to be a major contributor to the rise.
The Central Government used to supply the bulk of LLINs for distribution among people but it has stopped since 2012. Between 2010-12, around 45 lakh nets were distributed among households in 140 blocks spanning the endemic southern and northern districts.
The treated nets, in fact, have been acknowledged to have brought malaria incidence in endemic areas down by over 50 per cent in the years they had full strength.
But the supply has stopped since 2012 and though the State Government had launched Mo Masari scheme in 2014-15, its coverage has been restricted to pregnant women, residential schools and hostels in tribal districts. The insecticidal effect of an LLIN lasts for two-three years at most.
Sources said the State Government had decided to extend the Mo Masari programme to the entire population and allotted `70 crore for procurement of LLINs. But till date, the nets have not been procured due to tender related problems.
In the meantime, the Central Government has committed to provide 1.13 crore LLINs under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GAFTM) programme. This quantity can protect more than 80 per cent of population, who are at risk but the nets would only reach during the fag-end of the year, much later than the peak breeding and transmission season.
The State Government has now contemplated to procure plain nets and get them treated with insecticide and supply them to people before the transmission season commences by March-April. But the process is not only time consuming but also difficult due to lack of availability in such high number in such a short time. Maintaining quality in insecticide treatment due to lack of expertise is also a major question.
“We have also decided to intensify indoor and outdoor residual spraying for optimal vector control in all the districts before and during the peak season. We expect the replenishment of LLINs to commence mid-year and expect to hold on till then by using conventional methods more aggressively,” Joint Director (malaria) Dr MM Pradhan said.