KARACHI: Officials of the Sindh Malaria Control Programme have recorded 52,377 cases across the province from January to July 2019.

According to them, such cases are increasing day by day in different districts after heavy rains.

According to the data released by the officials, a total of 52,377 malaria cases were detected across the province this year till July. Most of the cases were reported from Thatta (10,191), Sujawal (4,428), Larkana (4,121), Tando Muhammad Khan (3,994), Badin (3,602), Mirpurkhas (3,523) and Umerkot (3,183).

Malaria cases were more common in rural areas as compared to urban areas while dengue cases were generally reported from cities.

About 1,873 malaria cases were detected in Karachi in 2019 at the centres working in the city for treatment of malaria patients. The number of cases was low in Karachi, Hyderabad and other major cities as compared to rural areas of the province.

However, cases were also observed in the coastal areas of Karachi and its slum areas. No deaths related to malaria were reported at the 600 centres operating all over the province.

The number of malaria cases has significantly increased in the rural areas of Sindh in the past couple years due to unavailability of funds, which compelled the Sindh Malaria Control Programme to suspend activities to control the disease.

Programme director Dr Mahmood Iqbal told PPI that malaria control activities had resumed across the province after release of quarterly budget.

In 2018, around 109,000 malaria-positive cases were reported in the province.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2019