Rane fears malaria epidemic in Panaji 15 Jul 2008, 0627 hrs IST,TNN PANAJI: The Goa government is "just short of declaring" a malaria epidemic in the state, state health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday.
Reacting to the alarming rise in malaria cases, Rane on Monday convened a joint meeting of the MLAs of the concerned areas, North Goa collector, Corporation of City of Panaji mayor and the Taleigao sarpanch to work out a strategy to curb the menace before it became an epidemic. "The idea is to work in co-ordination with all authorities and not in isolation as there is an outbreak of malaria this year and we are just short of calling it an epidemic," said the health minister. Everyday six persons are being detected with falciparum malaria this year. In the first six months last year, the number of falciparum cases was four a day. Cases of the vivax strain of malaria have almost doubled this year. While from January to June 2007, about 2,883 cases of vivax were detected; in 2008 4,025 cases of vivax have already emerged. There have also been seven malaria related deaths. It is for the first time that the vivax strain has led to deaths of those infected. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Rane_fears_malaria_epidemic_in_Pa naji/articleshow/3234568.cms ~(^^)~ Avelino
