Odisha requests 1.56 crore mosquito nets from Centre to combat malaria

Odisha requests 1.56 crore mosquito nets from the central government to combat malaria, as the state recorded the highest number of cases (41,971) in India in 2023. The nets, provided in 2020-21, are crucial in preventing infections but are due for replacement. The government emphasizes the urgency to prevent a possible surge in malaria cases.

The Odisha government has requested the central government to provide 1.56 crore Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) to curb malaria cases in the state.

State Health and Family Welfare minister Niranjan Pujari on Monday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya, in this regard.

Pujari highlighted that the Centre had provided 1.56 crore LLINs to Odisha in 2020-21, effectively preventing malaria infections among highly vulnerable populations.

The replacement of these nets, scheduled for 2023, has been delayed by nearly a year, leaving the state susceptible to a surge in malaria cases, he said.

Pujari urged the central government to promptly supply the LLINs to prevent further escalation of malaria cases.

According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), Odisha recorded the highest number of malaria cases in 2023 among all states with 41,971 cases.

Odisha was followed by Chhattisgarh (31,713), Jharkhand (31,140), West Bengal (26,493), Tripura (22,412), Mizoram (17,991), Maharashtra (16,164) and Uttar Pradesh (13,585).

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)