Following a sharp increase in malaria cases in Mumbai, MSF launched a programme of support today to help health authorities there fight the disease. MSF teams will provide 100,000 diagnostic kits and 3,700 treatment kits to health centres in the city. We will also provide training for health centre staff in diagnosing and treating the disease.
MSF is responding to a request from the Ministry of Health to reinforce the supply of treatment for the falciparum strand of malaria, which constitutes 10 to 15 percent of all cases of malaria in Mumbai. Falciparum is the most deadly form of the disease. The diagnostic tests that MSF provides are an efficient way of identifying which strand of malaria the patient is infected with.
Half a million people live in the most affected areas of the city. In the first six months of 2010, 14,724 cases of malaria were reported in those areas, nearly equalling the number of cases recorded in the same areas in 2009. This indicates a marked increase in the number of people infected.
MSF staff members are providing medical supplies and training to health centres in the areas of Mumbai worst affected by a sharp rise in malaria cases. Photo by Guillaume Bonnet/MSF.
“Last year, MSF successfully treated over one million malaria patients in 30 different countries. We are pleased to share our resources and expertise with the Mumbai authorities. It is crucial that health staff can give a correct diagnosis so that patients can be treated appropriately. The diagnostic tests that we provide are reliable, easy to use and require just one drop of blood to give results” said Tiago Dal Molin, MSF’s project coordinator in Mumbai.
Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria, the disease continues to kill almost one million people around the world every year.
“The disease is transmitted by infected mosquitoes, and areas with stagnant water are ideal breeding grounds. Recent heavy rains in Mumbai are likely to be the cause of the current rise in malaria,” said MSF’s Sanjana Maurya, who is supervising these activities.
“Some of the most vulnerable people are the migrants in Mumbai who work in construction labour. They often sleep close to construction sites where there is a lot of stagnant water following the heavy rains," added Tiago Dal Molin.