MALKANGIRI: The Bonda Hill under Khairput block of Malkangiri district is yet again in the grip of malaria.
A report submitted to Collector Manish Agarwal by the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) has revealed that at least 358 people have been found malaria positive in June in Khairput community health centre (CHC) of which, 140 cases have been reported from Mudulipada and Andrahal panchayats.
Of this, 71 Bondas have been found malaria positive in Mudulipada primary health centre (PHC) and 23 Bondas tested positive for the disease in Mudulipada and Andrahal health sub-centres.
In the month of July so far, though, 288 people were admitted to Khairput CHC and around 15 were found malaria positive.
The Bonda Hill has a population of 8,488 people spread across Mudulipada and Andrahal panchayat limits under Khairput block.
Inmates of residential schools in Mudulipada besides, people in Rasbeda, Khairput and Kadamguda panchayats under the block have been diagnosed with malaria.
While the number of malaria cases in the district has come down drastically in 2018 compared to 2017, the disease continues to raise its ugly head in Khairput block every year despite implementation of government’s flagship scheme DAMaN (Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran), which aims at elimination of malaria in inaccessible areas.
The district had reported 13.78 annual parasite incidence (API) per 1000 population in 2018 as compared to 37 in 2017 but Khairput block has been reporting over 500 malaria positive cases every year.
The block reported 5,100 malaria positive cases in 2017 of which, 731 cases were reported in the month of June alone.
The number of such cases was 1,731 in 2018 of which, 295 were reported in June. This year till now, 1023 malaria positive cases have been found in the hilly block.
Sources said all the villages in the block are located in hilly areas. Besides, garbage heaps and water stagnation in the villages serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the areas.
DAMAN campaign was launched in the district in March 2017, said vector-borne disease consultant, Ajit Kumar Dalai, adding that of the 65 targeted villages under Mudulipada and Andrahal sub-centre areas in Bonda Hill, 27 villages have been covered under Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS).
This apart, during the first round of DAMaN campaign, 5,612 people were screened for malaria against the total of 6,297 population in Mudulipada and Andrahal panchyats.
Under DAMaN, 4,18,590 community bed nets were distributed among people in the block to control the malaria menace in 2017 and the next lot of nets would be distributed in 2020.
Sources in the CDM & PH office said non-completion of malaria dosage and non-use of mosquito nets are the main reasons behind the disease spreading its tentacles in Khairput block.