Karnataka will be malaria-free by 2025, claims Health minister K Sudhakar

News Network
July 17, 2022

Bengaluru, July 17: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar has said the Centre has given a target of eradicating malaria by 2030 but the state government has taken it as a challenge to make the State malaria-free by 2025.

The Health Minister said creating awareness among people is key to fighting malaria and other vector-borne diseases. He instructed officials to travel to districts with high malaria cases and encourage people to take preventive measures to avoid the disease.

Speaking at the workshop organised by the state health department, Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) on 'Accelerating towards a Malaria Free Karnataka by 2025' Minister Sudhakar said, the government requires the support of non-governmental organisations and the public in addition to government programmes.

"There were no proper testing facilities for malaria earlier and in the 1980s and 1990s, we started testing for malaria whenever someone caught a fever. With such testing and awareness programs among communities, the number of cases has drastically come down. To fight any disease, creating awareness in society is very important," he said.

The Chief Minister said a total of 1,86,532 malaria cases were detected across the country in 2020. Karnataka accounted for only 1,701 cases which is just 0.9 per cent of cases in the country.

"Generally, cases of malaria and dengue increase during the monsoon season and currently there has been very heavy rain in 13 districts of Karnataka. Due to the rain, waterlogging occurs in unused buckets, unused tyres, empty coconut shells etc is the breeding ground for mosquitoes which act as vectors to transmit these diseases. A total of 1,86,532 malaria cases were detected across the country in 2020. Karnataka accounted for only 1,701 cases which is just 0.9% of cases in the country. A total of 21 crore malaria cases were detected across the world this year and out of this 6.27 lakh people have fallen victim," he said.

"I congratulate all the health officials and staff for keeping malaria cases under control in Karnataka," Sudhakar said.

The Chief Minister further said malaria should not be taken lightly as the monsoon season is a challenging period.

"Only 100 malaria cases have been recorded in the past six months. However, monsoon season is a challenging period and we are seeing an uptick in the number of malaria cases in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. we are witnessing an increase in cases in areas that have proximity to forests," the health minister said.

Dr Sudhakar said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's vision of Nava Karnataka can be realised only if we achieve a healthy Karnataka.

"In addition to malaria, we also have to eradicate tuberculosis. The union government has given a target of eradicating malaria by 2030. However, we have taken it as a challenge and we will take measures to make Karnataka malaria-free by 2025, five years before the Union government's target," he said.

"To achieve this target, we also require the support of non-governmental organisations and the public in addition to government programs. It should become every citizen's responsibility to keep their surroundings clean. A lot of awareness has to be created in this regard," he said.

He said awareness programs have to be created among communities in places that are seeing an uptick in malaria cases including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

Treatment alone is not enough, rather precautionary measures need to be taken to ensure that the disease does not come back, the minister said.

"We need to be vigilant and never assume that there are no cases in districts like Kolar and Chikkaballapur just because no cases have been reported. We need to take measures to encourage communities to jointly participate in the malaria eradication effort," Sudhakar said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
September 28,2024

lebenonbomb.jpg

A new wave of Israeli airstrikes have reportedly hit the Dahiyeh area in the south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, which had come under deadly aerial attacks by the regime just hours earlier.

The strikes targeted several buildings in the al-Hadath and Laylaki neighborhoods in the area on Saturday.

Shortly afterwards, reports pointed to “a third wave of strikes” on al-Hadath as well as strikes against Choueifat, another southern Beirut suburb, with subsequent accounts putting the total number of the attacks at more than 30.

The Israeli military claimed that it was conducting strikes targeting “weapons belonging to Hezbollah…that were stored beneath civilian buildings” in southern Beirut.

Hezbollah's Media Relations’ Office, however, asserted, “The enemy's claims about the presence of weapons or weapons depots in the civilian buildings targeted by the bombing in the southern suburb are false.”

Simultaneous Israeli airstrikes targeted areas near the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, including al-Bass, Burj al-Shamali, and al-Maashouq.

Also on Saturday, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon warned that the country was facing bloodshed not seen in decades, and that the crisis could deteriorate even further.

"The recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing short of catastrophic,” Imran Riza said. “We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many express their fear that this is just the beginning.”

On Friday, Israeli warplanes struck at least six residential structures in Dahiyeh's Haret Hreik neighborhood, killing at least eight people and wounding some 80 others.

The attacks came as part of the regime’s escalation against Lebanon that has been targeting the country since October 7, when Tel Aviv launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has taken a deadlier turn since Monday, claiming the lives of more than 700 people across the country.

Hezbollah has been responding to the aggression with numerous retaliatory operations targeting the occupied Palestinian territories.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
September 24,2024

rainsDK.jpg

Mangaluru, Sept 24: A blanket of gloom descended over Dakshina Kannada and Udupi as heavy rains battered the coastal Karnataka districts on Tuesday. Substantial rainfall has been drenching the region since Monday, intensifying as the day progressed.

In Dakshina Kannada, torrential downpours began early Tuesday, followed by overcast skies and humid conditions. 

The showers persisted intermittently through the afternoon, with areas like Beltangady experiencing moderate rainfall, while Puttur and Bellare bore the brunt of heavier storms. 

Overnight showers were reported in Bantwal, and Mangaluru city, along with its surrounding rural areas, witnessed a steady increase in rainfall, peaking by the evening.

After a brief respite, the return of intense rainfall has brought a welcome drop in temperatures. In Udupi, Karkala, Udupi city, Kundapur, and Hebri taluks all faced substantial rains throughout the day, continuing from late Sunday night.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the coastal districts, predicting more heavy rainfall in the coming hours. 

A yellow alert has been placed for Wednesday, signaling the likelihood of additional downpours. Fishermen have been cautioned to remain vigilant, as the possibility of strong winds looms over the coastal waters.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
October 1,2024

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it targeted Israel's Glilot military base and Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv with salvos of Fadi-4 rockets.

Israeli reports said several settlers were injured in the rocket barrage from Lebanon on Tel Aviv.

The reports said the rocket attack from Lebanon was “the largest” since the beginning of the war.

Hezbollah earlier said it struck gatherings of Israeli troopers in artillery and rocket attacks on the northern part of the occupied Palestinian territories in retaliation for Israel’s deadly strikes on Lebanon.

In separate statements released on Tuesday, the resistance movement said the gatherings of the enemy troops were hit at the Shtula, Metulla, Avivim and Rosh Pina settlements.

The resistance also targeted the Doviv barracks with a Falaq-2 rockets as well as the gathering of Israeli forces near the settlement of Rosh Pina with a rocket barrage.

The resistance group added that it had conducted the operations in support of “steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and … their valiant and honorable resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people.”

The attacks came amid a major escalation in Israel’s acts of terror and aggression in Lebanon that saw the regime assassinating Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on southern Beirut.

The death toll from Israeli aerial assaults across Lebanon since early October 2023 has reached 1,745 with some 8,767 injured, according to Lebanese government data. In response, Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets and drones towards Israeli targets.

The deadly exchange of fire was sparked by Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed 41,615 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded 96,359 others over the past year.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.