Gadchiroli has now recorded a 41.6% decline in malaria cases compared with last year, with the health administration intensifying testing, treatment and mosquito-control measures across vulnerable areas. Gadchiroli : In a district where remote forest settlements can remain cut off during the monsoon, malaria control depends as much on reaching people in time as on treating those who fall sick.
Where a malaria case is detected, health teams continue surveillance for 28 days. The district has distributed 1,16,372 insecticide-treated mosquito nets and deployed 25 teams for insecticide spraying in 1,195 villages. So far, Rs15,250 has been transferred as incentives. So far, Rs2.83 lakh has been credited to the accounts of 566 patients. Additionally, 672 nodal teachers have been appointed across 1,908 schools in the district to raise awareness among students,” said Suhas Gade, chief executive officer, Zilla Parishad, Gadchiroli.
“To ensure that residents of remote areas do not lose their wages due to illness, patients who complete their full course of treatment are being provided Rs500 as compensation for lost wages, directly deposited into their bank accounts. They receive Rs15 for referring a fever patient and Rs200 when malaria is confirmed.
Collector Avishyant Panda said the district’s focus was to take preventive measures to the last settlement rather than wait for patients to reach health facilities. District Health Officer Dr Pratap Shinde said: “Our field teams are maintaining regular surveillance in vulnerable villages. Asha workers and other health staff also follow up with patients to ensure that treatment is completed. Spraying has been completed across Bhamragarh taluka. Regular control and monitoring are being carried out at vulnerable Primary Health Centres with an Annual Parasite Index (API) of more than two. The administration has also sought help from people who are often the first point of contact for patients. Local priests (Pujari) and traditional healers (Vaidu Baba) are being encouraged to refer people with fever for govt testing. Rapid testing allows suspected cases to be identified quickly, while follow-up ensures that patients complete the prescribed treatment. Preventive measures such as spraying and mosquito-net use have to continue alongside diagnosis and treatment.”
The decline is significant, but officials acknowledge that malaria transmission has not disappeared. Sustained surveillance through the monsoon, timely treatment and community cooperation will remain crucial, particularly in border areas adjoining Chhattisgarh and Telangana.