By Rafiullah Mandokhail
Zhob, (Parliament Times) : To ensure the prevention, timely diagnosis, and treatment of malaria, the Malaria Control Program held the monthly surveillance meeting here in Zhob. The meeting was presided over by District Health Officer Dr Muzaffar Shah. District Coordinator Malaria Control Program Dr Ubaid Hariphal and stakeholders attended the meeting. During the meeting, different initiatives taken by the Malaria Control Program were reviewed and the participants expressed satisfaction over the hectic efforts to control the vector-borne disease in the district.
Talking on the occasion, DHO Dr Muzaffar Shah said that malaria is caused by a parasite of the Plasmodium species, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Balochistan in general, while Zhob in particular has a diverse climate. Zhob falls in the monsoon range and seasonal rains, which can create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes. Timely diagnosis and treatment of malaria cases are crucial in preventing the spread of the disease,’ he emphasized.
The health official said the tireless efforts of the teams bear fruit, as they are leaving no stone unturned. The teams not only screen the patients but also provide them with free medicines in the remote parts of the district. He added.
District Coordinator Dr Ubaid Hariphal said on the occasion that screening camps have been set up in different far-off areas by Balochistan Rural Support Program (BRSP) Malaria Control Program in collaboration with the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN). Forty-eight BCC sessions have been held, where free screening of sixteen thousand people including women and children has been conducted during September, out of them four thousand one hundred and sixty people have been diagnosed with falciparum and vivax malaria.
‘Mass screening of eighteen hundred people has also been done in different areas, out of the total number, over three hundred people have been found infected with the parasitic disease malaria. All the infected patients have been treated and given free medicines,’ he maintained.
The official said, BRSP and IHHN in 21 districts of Balochistan including Zhob have provided modern resources and facilities to 26 government health centers and 44 private laboratories for diagnosis, screening, treatment, and prevention of malaria, where thousands of poor people benefit from the program.