Malaria killed 193 people, affected 56,789 last year in CHT
Thursday, 31 July 2008
RANGAMATI, July 30 (UNB): Malaria, a serious infectious disease, claimed some 193 lives and infected 56,789 people last year in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region, according to official figures.
Unofficial sources, however, claimed that the death toll and the number of people affected by malaria in the region would be much higher.
This was disclosed at a roundtable on "Media assistance in malaria control programme" held at the Zila Parishad auditorium here on Tuesday.
Rangamati Press Club, BRAC, Health Directorate, and Health and Family Welfare Ministry jointly organised the discussion.
Deputy Commissioner Nurul Amin, BRAC health programme officer Jahangir Alam, journalist Maksud Ahmed and Zila Parishad chairman Jagat Jyoti Chakma, among others, spoke at the programme, chaired by district civil surgeon Dr M Abdullah.
The speakers said 70 upazilas of 13 districts of the country are more vulnerable to malaria. Of these, the three hill districts are the most vulnerable.
Mentioning that malaria claims hundreds of lives every year in the malaria prone-CHT region, they said the disease is more rampant in the hill districts during the rainy season, which is favourable for mosquito breeding.
Giving the global scenario of malaria, the speakers said the deadly disease kills over a million worldwide each year - mostly children.
More than half a billion people are infected with malaria every year.
Unofficial sources, however, claimed that the death toll and the number of people affected by malaria in the region would be much higher.
This was disclosed at a roundtable on "Media assistance in malaria control programme" held at the Zila Parishad auditorium here on Tuesday.
Rangamati Press Club, BRAC, Health Directorate, and Health and Family Welfare Ministry jointly organised the discussion.
Deputy Commissioner Nurul Amin, BRAC health programme officer Jahangir Alam, journalist Maksud Ahmed and Zila Parishad chairman Jagat Jyoti Chakma, among others, spoke at the programme, chaired by district civil surgeon Dr M Abdullah.
The speakers said 70 upazilas of 13 districts of the country are more vulnerable to malaria. Of these, the three hill districts are the most vulnerable.
Mentioning that malaria claims hundreds of lives every year in the malaria prone-CHT region, they said the disease is more rampant in the hill districts during the rainy season, which is favourable for mosquito breeding.
Giving the global scenario of malaria, the speakers said the deadly disease kills over a million worldwide each year - mostly children.
More than half a billion people are infected with malaria every year.