People to clear standing water to avoid malaria infections
PESHAWAR (APP): Medical doctors here Thursday urged people to clear standing rains water immediatly and make fumigation spray to avoid mosquito bites which are main cause of malaria infections during monson.
Dr Malik Riaz Khan, Principal Medical Officer, Govt hospital Pabbi Nowshera told APP that malaria spread in standing water fast and its removal was imperative to eradicate malaria during moonson.
He said the number of maleria cases increases during moonson and urged masses to use anti mosquitoes nets and full cloths.
Dr Riaz said that maleria was a fatal disease especially for senior citizens and children under five years of age due to their weak immune system.
He said that Malaria was killer disease and its early diagnosis can save a patient’s life.
Dr Riaz said that as per World Health Organization, around 217 million people in Pakistan are at moderate risk of malaria, and 63 million at high risk. Approximately, 0.47 million malaria cases and 800 deaths were reported in 2020 in Pakistan.
Nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria and there were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria worldwide with 619,000 death in 2021 compared to 245 million cases and 625,000 deaths in 2020.
More than two hundred million people contract the disease each year, and over four hundred thousand die from it. “Once transmitted in nearly every country on earth, today the vast majority of infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 70 percent of malaria deaths are in children under five.”
Dr Malik Riaz said that malaria was typically unstable, and its major transmission period was post-monsoon, i.e. from August to November with a negative impact on its socio-economic growth and productivity.
He said the disease does not spread from person to person, and that persons with symptoms such as fever, chills and headache besides fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing should immediately contact their doctors.
“For too long, malaria eradication has been a distant dream, but now we have evidence that malaria can and should be eradicated by 2050,”
Malaria control program was underway in Khyber Pakthunkhwa to provide free treatment to patients besides ensuring early diagnosis and prompt treatment services to the vulnerable groups at high risk districts.
Besides increasing community awareness, he said the malaria prevention measures also focuses on health promotion, advocacy and awareness among communities.
The experts said the media and civil society role was important to create awareness against the disease and sensitize people imperative to win the fight against malaria.
