RAWALPINDI, April 6: Speakers at a seminar here stressed the importance of an integrated awareness programme to eradicate malaria from society.

According to a press release, the seminar was organised under the auspices of the federal malaria control programme, ministry of health.

Director of the programme Dr Faisal Mansoor said malaria is the second most prevalent and devastating disease in the country and has a tendency for epidemic breakouts over larger areas, particularly in Balochistan, NWFP and Sindh. However, the disease is now emerging as a prominent health problem in Fata too, particularly along the international border with Iran and Afghanistan.

Dr Mansoor asked clinicians not to prescribe anti-malaria medicines for every patient by finding symptoms of temperature with shivering, because the country was spending over three and half billion rupees on manufacturing of the malaria medicines.

He stressed the need for filling all ponds so that mosquitoes could not grow, and using relevant methods to keep the environment malaria free.

He briefed the audience on the measures which have so far been adopted for protection against malaria and dengue viruses. He said efforts were also being made to seek cooperation of policy makers and public opinion leaders for proper implementation of the malaria control programmes.

Associate professor of surgery at the Rawalpindi General Hospital, Dr Jehangir Sarwar called for initiating practical measures for collection of statistics from the grassroots level and demanded provision of adequate resources to overcome malaria and other related ailments both in urban and rural areas.

Dr Jamal Nasir, Dr Badar-i-Alam and Dr Farhan highlighted various aspects of viral diseases on the occasion.