The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) distributed 193 malaria testing kits to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers on Thursday. They will now take samples of suspected patients from the community as part of active malaria surveillance, said the officials.
As per the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), civic health departments are expected to conduct both active and passive malaria surveillance. As part of passive surveillance, patients visiting the outpatient department and fever clinics in civic hospitals are tested for malaria.
In Pune city, however, the active surveillance rate has remained critically low at 3 per cent for the last three years.
A senior health official from PMC, on request of anonymity, said the civic body has purchased over 200 kits for malaria testing. “The ASHAs have undergone training to handle and send samples of suspected malaria patients for testing. PMC on Thursday distributed 193 malaria testing kits to ASHAs, as a step to strengthen its active malaria surveillance,” he said.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer of PMC and head of vector-borne diseases control programme, said, “Samples taken during the initial period help us identify the malaria parasites in the blood of the infected patient.”
{{/usCountry}}Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer of PMC and head of vector-borne diseases control programme, said, “Samples taken during the initial period help us identify the malaria parasites in the blood of the infected patient.”
{{/usCountry}}Dr Dighe further informed that there is also a possibility that if there is a delay in identifying the malaria cases, it could be late, and the infection is likely to be spread to other people. “Intensified mosquito management activities in an area are conducted after a patient tests positive,” he said.