March 31, 2017 … A State Level Committee Meeting for National Vector Borne Disease was held yesterday at Secretariat Porvorim under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Health) Shri Sudhir Mahajan.
The committee members of various Departments including doctors attended the meeting. The focus of the meeting was Malaria elimination in the State of Goa.
At the outset Dy. Director NVBDCP Dr. Chandrakant Porob presented the status of Vector Borne Disease in the State and said that there were 742 cases of malaria in 2016. The annual parasitic incidence is less than 1 (i.e number of cases per thousand.)
The meeting discussed at length the sensitive zones like construction sites, house letting by local people, industrial areas, beach shack areas, fishing jetties etc.
The meeting also discussed measures to eliminate malaria in the State with the cooperation and support of various Departments like labour Dept, for migrant workers issue, PWD for source reduction of breeding sites, municipalities and Panchayat for sanitation measures, education Dept, etc for students participation . The Goa Medical college to assist in training and awareness programmes
It was suggested that procuring of mosquitoes nets for the use of migrants would bring down malaria cases to a large extent. The Secretary (Health) Shri Mahajan addressing the members said strategy should be set in order to eliminate malaria in total. For this more and more efforts will have to be put in by all concerned. Shri Mahajan instructed the authorities to go ahead with the proposal of purchasing mosquito nets on priority for use of migrants at construction sites. He said since the State was so close to the goal of zero transmission possible sources will have to be tapped and full efforts should go into malaria elimination.
Present at the meeting was Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Dy. Director (SG) and DIC, Dr. Edwin Gomes, Dr. Jose D’Sa, Dy. Director (PH) Shri L.S Roncon Pereira. Additional Collector (South) Dr Savio Rodrigues among others.
