UNB, Dhaka :
Experts at a roundtable here on Thursday observed that coordination among Bangladesh, India and Myanmar is
essential to maintain the success Bangladesh has achieved in controlling malaria.
They said Bangladesh has already achieved Millennium Development Goal for combating malaria set for 2015 and the country needs close coordination with its neighbours, India and Myanmar to maintain the success.
Of the 13 districts, most affected by malaria, Kurigram, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Rangamati and Khagrachhari, have border with India and two districts, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, have border with Myanmar.
The border areas in these districts have forests and hills that act as breeding ground for mosquito carrying malaria germ. The roundtable, held at the BRAC Centre, was organised jointly by the Directorate General of Health Services, daily Jugantar and BRAC.
MM Neazuddin, health and family welfare secretary, attended as the chief guest while Rafiqul Islam Ratan, deputy editor of Jugantar moderated the event.
Prof Be-Nazir Ahmed, line director, National Malaria Control Programme, chaired the event titled ‘National Malaria Control Programme: Future plan for malaria-free Bangladesh’ and also presented the keynote paper.
In his speech, Dr Mohammad Akramul Islam, associate director of BRAC Health Nutrition and Population Programme, stressed that the mass media should be more involved in raising public awareness about malaria.
Bangladesh under its MDG goal targeted to reduce the number of malaria-infected patients to 310 per hundred thousand by 2015 but succeeded to reduce the number to 202 by 2013.
