New Delhi |HL Correspondent The Government of Madhya Pradesh along with Indian Council for Medical Research and Sun Pharma signed an agreement under the Public –Private-Partnership for the malaria free India initiative.
The Malaria free India project was launched in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. There will be technical committees to provide oversight for disease surveillance and elimination.
Under the aegis of this unique public-private-partnership, ICMR, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India (GoI), Government of Madhya Pradesh and Sun Pharma will establish a malaria elimination demonstration project titled Malaria Free India, to support the national framework for elimination of malaria in India.
The demonstration project will be launched in one of the most malaria endemic districts of Madhya Pradesh and implemented in a phased manner, beginning with Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. The public-private-partnership stakeholders will execute the malaria elimination programme over a span of 3 to 5 years covering over 1,200 villages in Mandla district.
On the occasion Madhya Pradesh Health & Family Welfare Minister Narottam Mishra said “I hope that this collaboration, which is starting from district Mandla, will expand to other districts and enable us to achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves.” There are almost 13 districts influenced with malaria in state and Mandla more endemic district.
Villagers do belief in exorcism for the treatment of certain type of diseases. They are not allowing destroying the affected puddles which is one of the reasons to increase malaria disease.
Madhya Pradesh state has seen higher numbers of cases of diseases like Chikenpox and Polio too, which affected the health of people of the state, Minister Mishra added.
Further Minister said around 5 lakh people get benefitted by the free medical treatment provide by the state government under many health programes.
Union minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram said “ People living in tribal areas due to lack of suitable facilities cant avail the treatment on time, as the health centres are far from their living areas.
Using of pesticides and fertilizers over the years in urban areas number of mosquitoes decreased whereas in rural area it just reverses.
The weekly hart organized by villagers must be a relevant point to spread awareness among the people for malaria eradication Minister Oram added.
Speaking at the event Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare J.P.Nadda said “ Sun Pharma has chosen the tribal area for the eradication of malaria is appreciable step”. There is huge scope in traditional medicines and for that it needs research.
The first of its kind public-private-agreement between ICMR & Sun Pharma reiterates India’s commitment to eliminate malaria.
ICMR and Sun Pharma will aim to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by malaria in this demonstration project as well as prevention of re-introduction of malaria.
. The Government of India has pledged with all other nations in a commitment to eliminate malaria by 2030 Nadda added.
Malaria is not uniformly distributed in India and 6 states are responsible for more than 60 percent malaria in the country. These are Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Northeastern states. About 91 districts in India, having 5 percent of country’s total population, 31 percent of tribal population are high burden districts contributing nearly half of malaria cases and deaths. Studies done by ICMR have shown that a holistic strategy can reduce malaria burden significantly within a few years, in a defined area. The proposed public-private partnership for malaria elimination will use the same available and tested strategies of case management (diagnosing and treating all symptomatic and asymptomatic cases through mass screening), intense surveillance and vector control by using indoor residual sprays and long-lasting insecticide impregnated bednets. Community participation and IEC will be key components.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research, said, “I am pleased that ICMR is partnering with Sun Pharma in a malaria elimination demonstration project – a high priority for us. This project aims to demonstrate that it is feasible to eliminate malaria from a high endemic district, and will hopefully become a pathfinder for the rest of the country.
Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma, said “ Through our Malaria Free India initiative, we aim to achieve zero malaria incidences in more than 1,200 villages of Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh by FY21. The experience gained from Mandla project will guide the development of broader plans for malaria elimination in Madhya Pradesh as well as other high malaria endemic states in India.”
To achieving the Malaria Free India goals, Sun Pharma will engaged with national and international experts as knowledge partners by establishing a non-profit foundation .
