Malaria awareness is vital

An integrated awareness programme is vital to eradicate malaria according to the president of the Pakistan Green Task Force, Dr Jamal Nasir.

A Malaria Advocacy Seminar is being held in the country as part of the Federal Malaria Control Programme.

Dr Faisal Mansoor, the director of the federal malaria control programme, stated in his key notes address that malaria is the second most devastating disease in the country and is now emerging as a prominent health problem in certain regions.

He called for ponds to be filled with clean static water so that mosquito's could not grow, alongside other measures to keep the environment malaria free.

Dr Mansoor also asked for anti-malaria medicine to not be prescribed to patients with temperature-related symptoms such as shivering. He stated that huge numbers of medicines prescribed are not actually required.

The World Health Organisation has claimed that malaria has not reached epidemic proportions in Pakistan. They claim that the figures reported by the Pakistan government of 3.5 million suspected malaria cases are exaggerated. WHO officials say the figure could not be more than 1.6 million.