1,895 malaria cases detected in two weeks, surveillance intensified
Pioneer News Service
Jamshedpur
The East Singhbhum district administration has crossed a major milestone in its intensified malaria control campaign, screening more than 1.04 lakh people across the district within just two weeks. Officials said the large-scale surveillance and testing drive is helping identify cases early and preventing serious complications through prompt treatment.
Addressing a press conference, Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan said the district administration and the Health Department are conducting an aggressive campaign involving surveillance, testing, treatment, Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and public awareness in malaria-prone areas.
Between June 29 and July 12, a total of 104,459 people underwent malaria screening at Community Health Centres (CHCs), Urban Health Centres and Sadar Hospital.
The testing included 96,478 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and 7,981 slide tests. During the period, 1,895 malaria-positive cases were detected, comprising 1,491 cases of Plasmodium falciparum (PF), 353 cases of Plasmodium vivax (PV) and 51 mixed infections.
Despite the large number of screenings, the district’s overall malaria positivity rate stood at 1.96 per cent.
Potka Community Health Centre recorded the highest testing volume with 24,657 people screened, followed by Musabani (15,150), Ghatshila (12,121) and Dumaria (11,060).
Potka also reported the highest number of positive cases (667), followed by Dumaria (427), Musabani (344) and Ghatshila (212).
In view of the higher caseload, the administration has intensified surveillance, Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), rapid testing and treatment campaigns in these blocks.
The Deputy Commissioner said the district has recorded six malaria-related deaths during the current outbreak.
Of these, four were attributed to cerebral malaria, while two resulted from mixed malaria infections. He informed that every fatality is undergoing detailed medical review to identify gaps and strengthen future treatment protocols.
He stressed that timely diagnosis and treatment remain the most effective tools for preventing severe illness and fatalities.
Officials noted that Sadar Hospital reported a malaria positivity rate of 14.36 per cent, significantly higher than other health facilities because it primarily receives referred patients and individuals with severe symptoms.
In urban areas, no malaria-positive cases were reported from Urban Mango, while only two cases were detected in Urban Birsanagar during the reporting period.
The Deputy Commissioner appealed to media organisations to support the administration’s awareness campaign by encouraging people to seek immediate medical testing if they develop fever instead of resorting to self-medication.
He said timely dissemination of accurate information would help increase public awareness and reduce the risk of severe malaria cases.
The administration has urged residents not to ignore fever and to visit the nearest health centre for a malaria test at the earliest.
People have also been advised to prevent water stagnation around their homes, use mosquito nets regularly, cooperate with Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and health surveys, and actively eliminate mosquito breeding sites to help contain the spread of malaria.
