A Malaria Control Campaign (MCC) official said that there is an upward trend in the spread of Malaria fever in the country and nearly 37 Malaria positive patients had been detected last year from different parts of the country. The vectors are the returnees from abroad after jobs, gem merchants, and soldiers of Peace Keeping Forces who return to Sri Lanka.
MCC Director Dr. Champa Aluthweera told the media that nearly 600,000 Malaria patients in Asian countries had died in the recent past.
The Malaria Control Campaign Day falls on April 25 every year in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, 8,200 awareness programs have been organised countrywide to educate school students on preventive measures on the spread of Malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The Education Ministry in a circular has informed all school heads to organise cleaning campaigns with the help of parents and past pupils to destroy mosquito breeding grounds within the school premises on April 25.
Kurunegala DMO Dr. S.M. Priyadarshana said that nearly 1,200 PHIs and 800 Family Health nurses would be deployed by the Health Ministry to conduct awareness programs this month.