Presentation Points at CASA EMK meeting

1. Malaria and Kala Azar
4th November 2012
HRDC
Ranchi

2. Malaria and KA- beyond
Jharkhand
• KA among Oraons in Debijhora
• Mal Paharia death Dheklapara
• Barharwa going to Mumbai in Vananchal
• Malaria in Baidan
• Mass Transit (mono) Rail in Mumbai

3. From NVBDCP consultant
U Dinajpur

4. KA among Oraons in Debijhora
• As many as 33 labourers had Kala Azar in
Bohura Line of Debijhora Tea Estate near
Siliguri (West Bengal) in 2011
• A total of 72 cases in that block Chopra are from
tribal families
• This is out of the reported 106 KA in the block
(Chopra/ Dalua) and a grand total of 182 cases
in Uttar Dinajpur district
• Many of them are Oraons who migrated 100
years ago in search of a better living
• Tea estates were the face of “development” and
replaced the forests and farms of the local Mech,
Rabha, (in Assam Bodo) and Rajbanshi
communities

5. Contribution of tribal case

6. Nepal
6 PKDL
180 cases of Kala azar in 2011
Uttar Dinajpur (West Bengal)
Including 11 PKDL
Bangladesh
Bihar
3 PKDL
2 PKDL

7. Mal Paharia death in Dheklapara
• The patient had 5 gm % Hemoglobin
• The North Bengal Medical College
reported Congestive Cardiac Failure as
the cause of death
• A lot of Paharias in Pakur have Kala Azar
• Paharia were (wrongly) considered a
“criminal” tribe by the British

8. Vananchal
• I travelled here on the 2nd night by the
Vananchal Express from Pakur
• There were many young people from
Barharwa without reservations
• They were going to Mumbai via Ranchi
and Rourkela
• They migrate outside because wage rates
are higher than in Jharkhand

9. Tea estates with migrant Jharkhandi labour
Dheklapara
Debijhora

10. Malaria in Baidan
• Last year after a festival there were
malaria deaths in Sitgram (Raiganj Block)
and many cases in Baidan (Kaliaganj
Block) of Uttar Dinajpur
• Workers return from labour sites outside
for their festivals
• For the contractors- temporary migrant
labour is cheap and less demanding than
local workers

11. Mass Transit (mono) Rail in
Mumbai
• Many temporary workers from all over the
country are flocking to Mumbai to
complete this overdue project
• They work day and night shifts
• Despite protective clothing, repellants and
treatment there has been transmission of
malaria and deaths

12. Mid Term Surveys and Action
• October- December 2012
• January-March 2013

13. October- December 2012
• Each week village workers can record the
number of fever and deaths in November-
possibly due to the dry weather and standing
crops many young men stay outside to guard the
fields and end up with malaria (information by
Prof E Hansdak who is from Mohulpahari area)
• Pulse Polio - Health department can give
Chloroquine to all Pulse Polio teams especially
in early December when there are the most
deaths. They should treat all fever cases
• Dengue - there is an outbreak this year. We can
do malaria testing for all fever cases along with
dengue or other tests

14. January-March 2013
• Medical Camps can be conducted as
often as possible during the favourable
weather
• February 2013 is a good time for a Mid
Term Kala Azar Survey for the EMK
project