Having set a 2015 deadline for eradication of Kala Azar, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has urged States to accelerate the construction of pucca houses, which is among the steps to curb the spread of the vector-borne disease.
Kala Azar, which spreads through the bite of the sandfly, is predominant in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The Centre had set aside a special package of Rs. 96 crore for construction of houses under the Indira Awas Yojana in 15 districts of Bihar during 2008-09 for containing the disease, but owing to various constraints, including cost overruns, the project did not take off and the spread of disease continues.
“Indoor residual spraying (IRS), which is a preventive step, is more effective in pucca houses than those made of mud and thatch. And extensive use of IRS is among the steps being taken up under the renewed programme to control the disease,” said C.K. Mishra, Additional Secretary in the Ministry.
Ensuring clean, hygienic surroundings is an important preventive measure, he said. “Sandflies are found in moist, unhygienic conditions and if that is prevented, half of our work is done,” Mr. Mishra explained.
To combat the disease, the Centre has also begun an extensive outreach programme, where instead of waiting for the patients to come for treatment, health workers and voluntary organisations would locate the patients who need treatment.
“We will combat the disease through a four-pronged programme. The first step will be IRS, the second will be the care treatment protocol, the third is active search where we will locate patients, and fourth will be changing the treatment regime — shifting from tablets to injectable medicines,” he said.
The Centre recently unveiled a Kala Azar rapid-diagnosis kit as part of its strategy to combat the disease. An insecticide, synthetic Pyrethroid, directed specifically at the sandfly, would also be supplied for spraying on the walls of homes in the endemic regions in 54 affected districts.
