Health minister vows to eliminate malaria in five years


FE Team | Published: April 25, 2018 18:26:04 | Updated: April 26, 2018 18:28:12


Health minister vows to eliminate malaria in five years

The government will be able to eliminate malaria from the country in next five years.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim came up with the statement on Wednesday.

"If countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal can do it, why can't we? We would eliminate malaria from our country in next five years," he said.

Nasim also said special arrangements would be taken for Rohingyas living in different camps in Cox's Bazar.

The Rohingyas would be provided special mosquito nets.

He also emphasised on creating awareness against the disease throughout the year.

The minister was addressing the inaugural session of Malaria Day programme at CIRDUP Auditorium.

Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad presided over the function.

The DG Health too reiterated government's commitment to eliminate the mosquito-borne disease from the country.

However, he said, "Our goal is to eliminate malaria completely from Bangladesh by 2030."

The function was also addressed by Director (disease control unit) of DGHS Prof Dr Sania Tahmina, among others.

Sanya Tahmina said that the government undertook an initiative to distribute 333 thousand mosquito nets in phases in the hilly regions and among the Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar.

Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari are at big risk of malaria, despite reduction in deaths and infections caused by the fever in the country in last few years.

According to National Malaria Elimination Programme, currently 93 per cent of the country's 29, 247 malaria patients are from these three hill districts.

The information came out at a press briefing organised by Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) at the National Press Club in the city yesterday on the eve of the World Malaria Day 2018.

The day is being observed today with the theme 'Ready to Beat Malaria'.

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