BHUBANESWAR: The State government has decided to extend ‘Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran’ (DAMaN) initiative for five more years in 21 districts in a bid to achieve malaria elimination in Odisha by 2030. The special initiative to supplement the routine malaria control programme provides support in bridging the gaps in screening and treatment of high-risk populations in inaccessible, hard-to-reach areas of the State.
The scheme was launched in the State in 2016 for five years. Endemic pockets in 24 districts including six high burden districts were covered under DAMaN where camps for screening, treatment and awareness programmes were undertaken extensively resulting in substantial reduction in malaria cases.
The total CHCs having the annual parasite index (API) of less than one increased from 273 to 285 within the same period. The API refers to high and moderate malaria transmission risk areas. There is no district with the API of more than one in the State.
Malaria positive cases came down from 3,47,860 in 2017 to 66,311 in 2018 and then 39,556 in 2019. There were 41,739 cases in 2020 and 25,503 cases in 2021. Presently, 23 districts of the State are on a fast march towards elimination of malaria.
Health department sources said the DAMaN programme will be implemented in 21 districts up to 2025-26 with an outlay of `50 crore. The activities already taken up in other three districts will not continue.
Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, which has already conducted the mid-term review earlier, will also be assigned the task of evaluation of the programme sometime in 2023-24.
Health Secretary Shalini Pandit said the State has made spectacular progress in containing vector diseases due to targeted intervention. “The focus will be on high endemic pockets of the State for effectively controlling and bringing to elimination stage rather than covering 24 districts and diluting the intensity,” she said. The State government has also decided to set up mini PCR facilities with highly sensitive rapid diagnostic tests (HS-RDT) for the detection of malaria in CHCs in high caseload districts.