Mangaluru (TNN): The Mangaluru City Corporation is all set to combat malaria with the use of technology.
The unique software, developed through private initiative, at no cost to the corporation, will help control and prevent vector borne diseases interfacing with multiple stakeholders like corporation, hospitals/ laboratories and field workers.
This is the first time such software is being used by an Urban Local Body in the country to address the incidence of vector borne disease, which is endemic to this region.
The software loaded on tabs will be used by 55-odd multi-purpose workers (MPW) of the corporation involved in source identification and destruction.
Corporation deputy commissioner (administration) Gokuldas Nayak said three rounds of field trials have been completed and the software to assist corporation in malaria management will be launched within the second week of August.
i-Point MD Naren Koduvattat said: While Mangalore Medical Relief Society (MMRS) is sponsoring the initiative through funding, i-Point came up with design and processes and Code craft developed the application. The malaria control system developed includes a web-based system for clinics and laboratories, a tab-based system for the field workers, enabled with SMS authentication and another web-based system for Corporation.
Naren said for Malaria control and prevention, interventions are needed within the first couple of days to be effective. "What data is got now helps the government with only statistics and not intervention to control it. Somebody has to visit the area, make sure affected take medicines and it does not spread to neighbouring households/areas. This means info has to flow fast and smoothly in this period for action. This software does just that and also gives a detailed mapping using GPS about the case concentration in particular area not - based on Google maps - but on the city corporation ward map interface, which makes authorities get a clear idea of problem areas and rush intervention,'' he noted. The corporation spend will be only on SMS authentication.
This software will, probably, also end the debate on the role of construction industry for the rise in malarial cases in this decade. MMRS will initially manage the database, analyse data and point out where the problem areas are to help corporation rush intervention.
How it works
When malaria positive cases are reported in an area, be it from hospitals, laboratories or public, the case details would be http://canaranews.com/uploaded to the server using the software. MPWs would visit the area with a tab equipped with GPS technology. Photographs of nearby breeding places as well as the spot from where the cases reported would be http://canaranews.com/uploaded along with reported cases. The software would display a list of measures to be taken and a map of area from where it reported. Accordingly, vector control measures would be initiated to stop mosquito breeding.
Malaria in numbers
Karnataka as a whole recorded 14,569 cases in 2014, which was 1% of total malaria cases in India. In January this year, Dr B G Prakash, joint director (malaria and filaria) had said the number of cases of the dreaded vector-borne disease in Dakshina Kannada district have increased from 7,025 in 2010 to 8,240 cases in 2014. Out of the 8,240 cases, 7,313 cases were from Mangaluru City Corporation area. An area of concern was spurt in number of cases of Plasmodium Falciparum (PF) malaria, which has high chance of morbidity. Number of PF malaria cases which was 52 in January, 2014, rose to 140 in July. Number of PF malaria cases came down to 30 in December 2014. There has been a 45% increase in number of PF Malaria cases in the Dakshina Kannada.
