Karachi: A total 58,500 malaria cases were reported across Sindh province in 2013, said Director Malaria Control Program Sindh Dr Naheed Jamali while talking to PPI.

She said malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease which takes place every year after rainfall and infects thousands of people.

She said approximately 58,500 malaria cases were reported across the province in 2013 as compared to 85,000 cases in 2012 due to the heavy flood and rains hit the province.

She said malaria cases had declined 20 percent in the province during 2013 as compared to previous year. She said only 1,675 malaria cases were detected in Karachi in 2013. She said 42 microscopic centers are operating in Karachi city for treatment of malaria patients.

She pointed out that four districts of Sindh - Thatta, Khairpur, Badin and Tharparker lead in malaria cases. She said a large of number people suffered from dengue fever in Karachi last year, while the situation remained under control in other parts of province.

Naheed said that hundreds of mosquito nets were distributed in malaria high-risk areas of the province. Under the malaria control program in Sindh, 280 microscopic centers are working in the province, where malaria patients are treated free of cost, She said.

The director Malaria Control Program Sindh informed that about 200 new microscopic centers had also been added in malaria control program, leading the number of such centers to 480 in Sindh.

Naheed said no death had been reported across the province from malaria disease in 2013. She explained that data of malaria patients collected from diagnostic centers was shared with district level malaria superintendents during monthly meetings and it was also provided to Provincial Malaria Control Program.

She said recent report of World Health Organization (WHO) also showed that 20 percent malaria cases had declined in Sindh province in 2013. She said now the global fund donors had directed the Malaria Control Program Sindh to devise elimination strategy to root out disease from the country likewise polio.

Source: APP