Malaria spreads around CHT amid Covid pandemic

The vector-borne malaria disease has become a serious health concern around the three districts–Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachhari–under Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) amid the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The number of malaria patients in CHT during the first half of this year surpluses the previous year’s record of the corresponding months, officials said.

They added that poor communications, absence of intensive care units (ICU) at local hospitals, shortage of health staff, and lack of public awareness are making CHT a hotspot of malaria.

Malaria is an endemic in 13 districts: Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habigang, Moulvibazar, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur and Kurigram.

More than 90 per cent of malaria transmission and deaths has been recorded in the CHT.

With 17,225 reported malaria patients, the year 2019 saw the highest malaria infection rate after 2014. Of the patients, 16,414 (95 per cent) were from the CHT.

Between January and June of 2020, the CHT districts logged 2,108 malaria infected patients while the number was 2,210 in the corresponding months this year. Among the patients, 76 per cent of malaria infection was recorded in Bandarban.

Civil surgeon of Bandarban, Aung Sui Marma told Prothom Alo, “The number of malaria patients is a bit higher than the previous year’s record. Moreover, dengue infection has also been identified here.”

Aung Sui Marma, however, claimed that malaria infection in the district was still under control.

National malaria and ATD (aedes transmitted diseases) control programme’s deputy programme manager Afsana Alamgir told Prothom Alo that monsoon this year–with prolonged rainy as well as sunny days in separate spells–seems conducive to breeding of anopheles mosquitos that transmit malaria.

“Although the malaria infection rate is higher than last year, the trend is not severe like 2019. This year, we are more vigilant in dealing with malaria,” Afsana Alamgir said.

The government has set a target to eliminate malaria from the country by 2030

So far, three people in Bandarban died of malaria this year. The number of malaria deaths was four last year.

Among the three deceased, one was a 17-year-old pregnant housewife of a remote village in Lama upazila. A local health worker provided her treatment when she was diagnosed with malaria in June. At the similar time, the patient was admitted to a private clinic because of pregnancy complications. When her health condition deteriorated, she had been referred to Chittagong Medical College and Hospital where she was also diagnosed with coronavirus.

National malaria and ATD (aedes transmitted diseases) control programme’s Bandarban-based surveillance medical officer Md Sirajul Islam said, “Initially we admitted the malaria patient to Lama upazila health complex. But the facility was not suitable for treating such of a critical patient. The pregnant mother died within a week of contracting malaria.”

There is no ICU facility in hospitals around the CHT. Two patients died of malaria last year badly needing intensive care.

Sirajul Islam, continued, “If there was an ICU, we might prevent such mortality here.”

Health workers in the malaria-prone CHT serve people of four to five remotely located villages.

Their job becomes more challenging in the monsoon.

Some of the health workers recommended that the malaria related awareness kits like brochures must be written in 11 ethnic languages so that people living there can read the contents easily. Besides, setting up ICU facilities at district level hospitals is crucial, they said.

Civil surgeon of Rangamati, Bipash Khisha, told Prothom Alo, “Malaria-prone Rangamati has been demanding ICU for long time. I hope the demand will be met this year.”

When the malaria situation is raising concerns, coronavirus transmission in the CHT is also on the rise. In 24 hours till 8:00am Friday, coronavirus infection rate was 32 per cent with 100 patients and three deaths. The rate was higher than the nationwide 26.25 per cent.

At least 7,496 people have been infected by coronavirus and 73 died around the CHT since the virus hit the country last year.

*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Sadiqur Rahman.