The Ministry of Health in Chapata
district in Eastern Province has launched the Indoor Residual Spaying (IRS)
campaign targeting 70,000 household.
The Exercise is expected to be
conducted within fifty five days starting from November 30 2011 to January
3,2012.
Speaking at the launch at Kapata’s
Referral Hospital, Chipata District Commissioner Masauso Banda called on
Chipata residents to cooperate with the Community Spraying Operators (CSO) as
they move door to door to spray their homes.
Mr. Banda stated that the spray method
was one of the most effective results of killing mosquitoes and reducing
malaria illnesses and deaths.
The DC said the IRS campaign against
malaria was recommended World wide for achieving the Millennium Development
Goal (MDG) for malaria by 2015 hence the need for concerted efforts from
stakeholders if it is to succeed.
Mr. Banda said the achievement of the
MDG’s also include malaria control measures such as prompt treatment of malaria
cases and use of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNS) which were supposed
to be given out alongside IRS.
He also commended the Ministry of
Health for distributing 9000 free ITNs to 43 Rural Health Centres since January
2011.
Meanwhile, Acting District Medical
Officer (DMO) Patrick Mbewe said increasing number of malaria cases impact
negatively on the district economic growth hence the need for residents to
support the IRS.
Mr. Mbewe said the spraying of walls of
houses and other surfaces would help reduce the span of the mosquito and
consequently reduce the transmission of malaria by infected mosquito to people.
He said government through Ministry of
Health is determined to reduce the malaria disease burden through intervention
measures such as IRS.
He said about 70 Community Spray
Operators have been engaged help out in the IRS operations as a malaria
preventive measure.
ZANIS
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