10 GFATM states attend three-day-long RRM at Ziro

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 25, 2024

Officials of 10 states- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Odissa, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand that are funded by GFATM (Global Fund for AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria) attended a regional review meeting held in Arunachal Pradesh from July 24 to 26.

The RRM is a quarterly event that is attended by all the states that are funded by GFATM.

Representatives from the Central government also attend the meeting. This time the meeting was organized St Claret College, Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh and hosted by the state programme unit in coordination with the District Programme Unit NCVBDC.

Speaking on the inaugural session of the Regional Review Meeting (RRM) of the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), the Commissioner H&FW, Pawan Kumar Sain urged the participants to discuss on the key issues, identify lacunae and come out with actionable points.

NHM mission director Marge Sora instructed the staff to prepare a micro plan for every village and work in coordination with the administration. He also expected the participants to learn from the practices of other states.

Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner HP Vivek speaking on the occasion applauded the Lower Subansiri district for achieving malaria-free status two years ahead before the set target.

He also commended on the first-of-its-kind waste disposal initiative in the district and urged the participants to get a first-hand experience of the system.

Another factor that he spoke on was the blood sample transportation adopted in the district. In remote and inaccessible areas, the blood samples are being transported via drones. This not only shortens the time for diagnosis but also increases the quality of diagnosis. Noting the presence of Panchayat Raj Initiative (PRI) members in the audience, he advocated for intersectoral coordination such as PRI, PHED, PWD, UD and administration, without which malaria-free status would not be attainable and sustained.

Speaking in the meeting, Dr Pranab Jyoti Bhuyan CHS, Additional Director NCVBDC, MoH&FW, informed that now there is an 81.59% reduction in malaria cases compared to 2015 in the GFATM states. In the same period and states, there is 79.76% reduction in death cases. India is set to be declared malaria-free by 2030, which means that there shall be no indigenous cases of malaria in the country from 2027.

The welcome address was delivered by Dr KT Mulung, state programme officer NCVBDC Arunachal Pradesh and the vote of thanks was given by Dr Nani Rika, district medical officer Lower Subansiri district. All the senior regional director, MoH&FW attended the meeting.