Lok Sabha Question No. 3132 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Spreading of Malaria in Marathwada Region
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Prataprao Govindrao  Patil Chikhalikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3132 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH     AUGUST, 2021

## Spreading of Malaria in Marathwada Region

## 3132. SHRI PRATAPRAO PATIL CHIKHLIKAR:

## Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has reviewed the situation of spread of malaria in Marathwada region including the Nanded district of Maharashtra, if so, the details thereof; if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is an acute shortage of competent officials to tackle the problem of malaria in Nanded region;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the steps being taken by the Government to check the spread of malaria in Nanded; and
- (e) the  details  of  action  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  to  meet  the  shortage  of  competent  health officials in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  :    The  Government  is  regularly  reviewing  the  malaria  situation  in  Maharashtra  (including  Nanded district of Marathwada Region) through virtual meetings.
-  In 2020, 18 malaria cases were reported from Marathwada region as compared to 174 in 2016 (89.7% decline in cases).  Details are at Annexure.
-  No malaria death has been reported in Marathwada Region since 2016

All districts of Marathwada region including Nanded have achieved Annual Parasite Incidence (API) of less than 1, which means less than 1 case of malaria in a year per 1,000 population.

- (b) & (c): Health is a State subject.  Department of Health and Family Welfare is running National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) under the aegis of National Health Mission(NHM). The

program inter alia covers malaria.  Technical and financial support is provided to the States/UTs for implementation  of  the  programme,  on  the  basis  of  their  proposals  in  Programme  Implementation Plans (PIPs) subject to the resource envelope.  Recruitment and placement of human resource is the prerogative of the States/UTs.

As per the information received from the State Government of Maharashtra, regular post of District Malaria  officer  (DMO)  is  vacant  in  Nanded  district.  However,  additional  charge  of  DMO  post  is given to Taluka Health Officer (THO), Deglur.

- (d):  Health  being  a  State  subject,  programme  activities  are  required  to  be  conducted  by  the  State Government.    NVBDCP,  under  NHM,  provides  technical  and  financial  support  for  a  number  of activities to check the spread of malaria in all vulnerable areas including Nanded.  These activities include:-
-  Early  diagnosis  and  radical  treatment  through  use  of  Rapid  Diagnostic  Tests  and  ensuring complete treatment up to community level through ASHA incentives.
-  Case-based surveillance and rapid response
-  Larval source management (LSM): Anti-larval measures are taken by using chemical and bio larvicides including larvivorus fish in places where there is vector breeding, especially in urban areas.
-  Epidemic preparedness and early response.
-  Behaviour Change Communication and community mobilization
-  Observance of anti-malaria month every year in the month of June for generating community awareness regarding the disease, its prevention and control measures.
- (e): Assessing the shortage of health officials and taking appropriate action to address the same, lies in the domain of the State.  As per the State Government, it has initiated a drive to fill up all vacant posts of health officials in the department.

NVBDCP, under NHM, provides financial support to States/UTs for engaging human resource on contractual basis to supplement human resource in case of shortage.  The said support is provided on the basis of the proposals received from the State, subject to the resource envelope.

Annexure

District wise malaria cases in Marathwada Region, Maharashtra, from 2016-2021

| Sl. No.   | Name of the District   |   2016* |   2017* |   2018* |   2019* |   2020* |   2021(till May)* |
|-----------|------------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|-------------------|
| 1         | Aurangabad             |      29 |      18 |       7 |       1 |       2 |                 0 |
| 2         | Jalna                  |       0 |       3 |       1 |       3 |       1 |                 1 |
| 3         | Parbhani               |      11 |       2 |       4 |       2 |       1 |                 0 |
| 4         | Hingoli                |       4 |       1 |       2 |       1 |       0 |                 0 |
| 5         | Latur                  |      37 |      10 |      13 |       3 |       7 |                 0 |
| 6         | Osmanabad              |      11 |       2 |       6 |       2 |       1 |                 0 |
| 7         | Beed                   |      34 |      14 |       8 |       0 |       4 |                 0 |
| 8         | Nanded                 |      48 |      14 |       4 |       3 |       2 |                 0 |
|           | Total                  |     174 |      64 |      45 |      15 |      18 |                 1 |