Surveillance by frontline health functionaries, viz, Accredited Social Health Activists and Multipurpose Health assistants, is vital (editorial, Feb. 18). In the Multi Purpose Health Worker programme of the 1980s, a health functionary used to visit every house once a fortnight and the report was pasted and signed on the wall using a stencil. A revival of this system improves surveillance of all events and indicates to the community the physical availability of health functionaries. Currently, private medical care, though very strong in its presence, hardly follows the protocol in malaria treatment and rarely reports vital events. Stringent regulations as far as private medical care is concerned and encouraging frontline health workers will help in the fight against malaria.
Dr. Araveeti Ramayogaiah,Hyderabad
