It's no news when dog bites a man. But it is news if a mosquito bites a man in hilly area, for the pierced sting may have possessed the dreadful virus of Malaria that in maximum possibility sees to the last journey of the affected person. Is it believable that the sentinels to our border lost 19 precious lives in the last three years in Tripura - Mizoram sector? But it is a dire fact that single out the crunch of the disease in the civic society, especially in inaccessible hilly areas. Not only Tripura or Mizoram the country as a whole and the North Eastern Region in particular is still affected by Malaria in its epidemic form.

As per official report 438 people died in 2001 as against 1010 in 1996 in the country. On the other hand in the North Eastern Region of the country maximum deaths were reported from Assam (110), followed by Mizoram (26) and Tripura (9) as per provisional reports. There was a decline of 12.37 per cent in annual incidents of Malaria and 9.13 per cent decline in incidents of plasmodium falciparum, malignant variety of Malaria in 2000 as stated in the annual report, 2001 -02, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Malaria has been a serious problem in North Eastern Region mainly due to its topography and climatic condition being congenial for perennial Malaria transmission, prevalence of highly efficient Malaria vectors particularly anopheles minimus, anopheles fluviatilis and anopheles dirus, predominance of malignant variety of Malaria parasite i.e. plasmodium falciparum as well as prevalence of drug resistant plasmodium falciparum in some areas. According to the report these states contribute 8.5 to 11 per cent of total Malaria cases and 13 to 15 per cent of total Malaria mortality in the country.

To contain Malaria the Center and the North Eastern States are working together in a well-concerted manner that includes central assistance for purchasing material and equipment as well as cash assistance. Recently the center has enhanced support to these states for the purpose so much so that during 2000 -2001 Rs. 44.86 crore was provided as compared to Rs. 41.63 crore in the previous year. For 2001-02 Rs. 50 crore was earmarked as central assistance for these states towards anti malaria programme. It is also learnt that these states have emphasized on this programme vigorously. For example, in Tripura medical teams are regularly sent to the remote areas during the lean season in addition to free medical treatment service to the affected people from hospital, primary health centers. Needless to say, there is also a periodical programme of DDT spraying in the state. This apart the state health department has distributed 7500 mosquito nets to the people living in vulnerable areas during the last four years.

The inaccessible and far - off places, particularly in Tripura reel under severe outbreak of Malaria during the lean season. In the state BSF, CRPF jawans, who have been deployed in a large contingent to man the border and contain the extremist activities, fall prey to the dreadful disease too. Naturally in most of the cases the security forces take local health services when their men are infected and sometimes the ailing jawans recover, sometimes some of them die because of inadequacy of proper treatment. So they are much concerned about the jungle - Malaria. At this outset, it is ominous when a force particularly the BSF has initiated an innovative plan, called "Intensified Malaria Action Plan" with the steady increase on the incidents of Malaria in Tripura - Mizoram sector for the last few years. As per the action plan, designed in the year 2001 the Force has initially worked out identification of the high risk areas followed by early diagnosis of Malaria by rapid diagnostic test kit method in addition to microscopic examination and treatment by introducing new anti Malaria drugs like arthimissin, chemo prophylaxis and personal protective measures. This year the annual action plan meeting on National Anti Malaria Programme was held at National Institute of Communicable Disease, New Delhi to discuss all aspects of Malaria contagion in Forces. In the meeting, attended by the representatives of all concerning fronts including Dr. S. Hotta, Sr. Medical Officer of BSF, Tripura- Mizoram sector, the action plan was revised while focusing on all the villages in the vicinity of BSF camps to bring unto the fold of the anti Malaria programme. In the month of March and June of this year the Force has arranged DDT spray in two rounds in and around the Border Out Posts (BOP), totaling about 150 covering a large population of approximately 50,000 residing along 856 Km international border stretch in the state. Apart from providing treatment facility to all the civil population residing in border areas a central team has, of late, conducted a mosquito identification and susceptibility study under the aegis of BSF.

To execute this innovative plan BSF medical officers, pharmacists and other medical staff of units of this frontier have done commendable job by working day and night relentlessly. When the anti Malaria programme was discussed in the Inter Media Publicity Campaign Committee (IMPCC) at Agartala in June BSF spokesperson reported that the severity of Malaria has reduced to a large extent in the BOP areas of the state. There was no casualty due to this disease after introduction of new chemo prophylaxis drug regime and Malaria action plan undertaken by BSF, he said adding the number of Malaria patients of BSF admitted or referred to Govinda Ballav Panth civil hospital of Agartala had remarkably reduced as compared to the previous years.

It is expected that the innovative action plan, undertaken by BSF in adherence to the Malaria consciousness campaign by the state health department and the department of Field Publicity, Govt. of India will show a new dimension to combat the Malaria outrage in the state, particularly the vulnerable places and help alleviating the violent outbreak of one of the most dreadful disease from this territory.