DHAKA: There are 13 malaria-prone districts in Bangladesh. About 1.80 crore people of 71 upazilas of those districts are at risk of malaria disease. Even about 91 percent of the country's malaria patients are from these areas.
Among the districts, three districts of CHT-- Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban -- are malaria-prone and maximum death rate cause of malaria is reported here. Chittagong and Cox's Bazar are also at risk.
This alarming information was revealed to the media at Shaheed Milon Bhaban of Health Directorate in the city's Mohakhali area on Thursday (April 18) on the occasion of 'World Malaria Day'.
There is malaria risk in Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Mymensingh, Sherpur and Kurigram districts but low.
Experts said the prevention of this disease is possible only through awareness. So, in these areas, people from all over the country are urging people to resist malaria through awareness about mosquito.
Health Directorate, BRAC and other partner organizations organized the event ahead of the World Malaria Day to be marked on April 25.
The theme of this year is ‘Zero malaria starts with me’.
About the theme, speakers at the programme said this I will have to be converted to we and have to say – “We can eliminate malaria”. All of us have to be aware of this. Among the many types of malaria in our country, most of the victims are infected with Falciparum malaria, the most dangerous type of malaria. There is Vivax malaria in India and Myanmar.
Alongside the Rohingya camps, this Vivax malaria is spreading in Bangladesh especially from Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya areas.
Soon, Bangladesh will hold a meeting with India so that malaria eradication programmes are taken in these areas. Otherwise it would not be possible to eliminate malaria from Bangladesh by 2030, as per our goal.
With Director of Disease Control Section of Health Directorate Sania Tahmina in the chair, Additional Director General of directorate Prof Dr. Nasima Sultana, were, among others, spoke the programme.
Anti-Malaria Elimination Program Epidemiologist Dr. Professor Dr. Mashiur Rahman Bitu moderated the programme.
BDST: 2057 HRS, APR 18, 2019
RS/SMS
