Thursday 1 December 2011

INDOOR SPRAYING AGAINST MALARIA TO BENEFIT 70 000 CHIPATA HOUSEHOLDS


The Ministry of Health in Chapata district in Eastern Province has launched the Indoor Residual Spaying (IRS) campaign targeting 70,000 household.
The Exercise is expected to be conducted within fifty five days starting from November 30 2011 to January 3,2012.
Speaking at the launch at Kapata’s Referral Hospital, Chipata District Commissioner Masauso Banda called on Chipata residents to cooperate with the Community Spraying Operators (CSO) as they move door to door to spray their homes.
Mr. Banda stated that the spray method was one of the most effective results of killing mosquitoes and reducing malaria illnesses and deaths.
The DC said the IRS campaign against malaria was recommended World wide for achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for malaria by 2015 hence the need for concerted efforts from stakeholders if it is to succeed.
Mr. Banda said the achievement of the MDG’s also include malaria control measures such as prompt treatment of malaria cases and use of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNS) which were supposed to be given out alongside IRS.
He also commended the Ministry of Health for distributing 9000 free ITNs to 43 Rural Health Centres since January 2011.
Meanwhile, Acting District Medical Officer (DMO) Patrick Mbewe said increasing number of malaria cases impact negatively on the district economic growth hence the need for residents to support the IRS.
Mr. Mbewe said the spraying of walls of houses and other surfaces would help reduce the span of the mosquito and consequently reduce the transmission of malaria by infected mosquito to people.
He said government through Ministry of Health is determined to reduce the malaria disease burden through intervention measures such as IRS.
He said about 70 Community Spray Operators have been engaged help out in the IRS operations as a malaria preventive measure.
ZANIS

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