KORAPUT: In a bid to check malaria in Koraput district, the administration is set to launch a special drive against the mosquito-borne disease in 28 panchayats of the district.
The drive would be in addition to the various malaria eradication programmes being implemented by the state government. "Two panchayats each from the 14 blocks of the district, falling under the high-risk zone of malaria, have been identified for the programme. We want to make these panchayats free of malaria in the next few months," Koraput district Collector Jaya Kumar V said today.
He said lack of awareness and preventive measures remain a cause of concern in this tribal hinterland. As a part of the drive, the administration has decided to form special village committees at the identified villages and to launch massive awareness drive through posters, street plays and leaflets in all the 28 panchayats. Over 40,000 positive cases of malaria are reported in the tribal-dominated district on an average every year, officials said.