Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts have taken lead in launching drives to eradicate kala-azar.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan is scheduled to hold a teleconference with the officials of both the districts on October 27 regarding their kala-azar eradication programmes. The development assumes significance as the Union government has decided to eradicate the disease from the country by 2015.

According to the data provided by the district malaria officers, while Madhubani has 354 kala-azar affected villages, Sitamarhi has 437.

Sharing the initiatives taken by the administration for the eradication of kala-azar from the districts, Sitamarhi district magistrate Pratima S. Verma said: “Recently we held a meeting of the district task force that has been engaged in the kala-azar eradication programme. We guided anganwadi workers, child development project officers and lady supervisors on how to go about the programme. We have also intensified sprinkling of DDT in the district to prevent breeding of sand flies, the vector of the disease.”

Ravindra Kumar Yadav, the Sitamarhi district malaria officer, said: “Till September this year, we have received 242 new cases of kala-azar in the district. We have now started focusing on not only the preventive measures, including sprinkling of DDT and indoor residual spraying, but also on identifying new cases of kala-azar and providing them immediate treatment. Kala-azar can be completely curable if correct treatment is given to the patients. Kala-azar patients are given 28-30 days treatment. The first line of miletefosine (oral pill) and the second line of amphotericin (injectable) are available at the government hospitals in the district. We would soon introduce ambisome (injectable), which is a more effective drug for kala-azar patients. WHO would provide it to us in November. Around Rs 80,000 is spent on kala-azar patients if they are given the required doses of ambisome. At present, Asha workers are given Rs 200 if they detect any new kala-azar case. This amount would be soon be increased to Rs 300 to motivate them to find more cases. We have also formulated 97 squads to complete sprinkling of DDT within 60 days. The DDT sprinkling programme started on September 10.”

Madhubani district magistrate Giriwal Dayal Singh said: “We have formulated a micro plan for sprinkling of DDT in the kala-azar affected region. Necessary medicines for kala-azar treatment have also been stocked up at the government hospitals.”