Karnataka has reported a significant decline in the number of malaria parasite infected cases indicating a 73.8 per cent decline over the last seven years. Intensified disease and vector surveillance together with speedy monitoring of early detection and treatment completion are factors attributed to bring down the cases.

According to the latest epidemiological data released from the Karnataka directorate of health and family welfare, the malaria parasite incidence has fallen from 62,842 cases in 2006 to 16,453 cases in 2012-13. The plasmodium falciparum (PF) cases have declined from 16,459 in 2006 to 1,291. Currently, the state is in a pre-elimination phase with only seven endemic districts of Mangalore, Udupi, Raichur, Koppal, Gulbarga, Bagalkot and Tumkur reporting an Annual Parasite Incidence (API) of 2 and above. Since a maximum number of districts are recording less than one API, Karnataka is seen to be on malaria control mode. The state has adopted a focused action by identifying 54 primary health centres in the as high risk regions.

“We have embarked on an aggressive strategy to control malaria which is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The state has gone in for a massive prevention drive creating an awareness through its house-to-house surveillance to contain the disease which has led to major decline in the number of cases,” Dr B.N. Dhanya Kumar, Director, Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, told Pharmabiz.

Vector borne diseases are mainly due to ecological factors like temperature, rainfall and humidity. Now it is evident with the erratic monsoons together with intensive malaria surveillance has led to a drastic reduction.

On the occasion of the World Malaria Day observed annually on April 25, with this year theme as ‘Invest in the future. Defeat malaria,’ we are reinforcing our commitment to control the disease. We are now in line, with the objective to ensure that Karnataka is able to further decrease the incidence because malaria is preventable and curable, he added.

Although Mangalore and Udupi account for almost 50 per cent of the cases primarily due to migrant labour coming in for construction activity, largely the state is seen to have made its attack on malaria control, stated Dr Kumar.

The seven districts: Mangalore Udupi, Raichur, Koppal, Gulbarga, Bagalkot and Tumkur have come under two dual funding modes to control malaria. One is the Externally Aided Component(EAC) which is a World Bank assistance and the other is the Domestic Budgetary Support (DBS)which is part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). For the period 2012-13, the total grant amounted to around Rs.490 lakh.

A core activity for malaria control by the Karnataka directorate of health is the door-to-door surveillance. It has included the phasing out of presumptive treatment with Chloroquine to ensure early treatment to avoid complications and drug resistance. It introduced Rapid Diagnostic kits to ensure that positive cases are administered treatment for the PF cases. For the Plasmodium Vivax (PV) cases, microscopy tests are undertaken. Next year, the directorate intends to introduce Bivalent tests to investigate both PF and PF cases.