Malaria toll over 100 but Assam’s counting to May 11

Officials in the state health directorate here said around 2 lakh people have been registered as suffering from fever since January; more than 8,000 of them have tested positive for Plasmodium falciparum. While Lakhimpur has been the worst hit — 40 deaths so far — Golaghat, Sonitpur, Darrang, Baska, Jorhat and Nalbari districts have been also badly affected, prompting Central Government teams to rush to the affected areas. There has been no movement, however, on the mosquito nets allotted by the Centre for vulnerable families in the malaria-prone areas this year. The state was to get 8.5 lakh nets but ‘‘so far, sanction has come for only two lakh nets, of which we have been able to procure 52,500,’’ said D Hojai, director of health services, Assam. Hojai also alleged that the Centre had failed to provide rapid testing kits to the state for early diagnosis despite the outbreak of the disease.

Meanwhile, the blame game has already begun between the Centre and the state government. The Centre has been providing 100 per cent assistance to the Northeastern states for implementation of all activities under the National Vector-Borne Diseases Control Programme. This apart, Assam also gets funds under a grant agreement that India had signed with Global Fund for AIDS, TB and malaria.