(a) whether the Government has reviewed the implementation of centrally sponsored
schemes for control of Malaria, AIDS, TB, Leprosy etc.;
(b) if so, the result thereof, State-wise; and
(c) the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) to (c): MALARIA: Government is regularly reviewing the implementatin of Malaria
Control Programme through the visits of the Officers to various states and monthly
progress reports received from the States.Besides, meetings of the State Programme
Officers are also convened periodically to review the implementation of the programme.The Programme has also been reviewed by the World Bank Mission and graded
the performance as satisfactory.
The State-wise review indicates that largest numbers of malaria cases in the country
in 2003 were reported by Orissa, followed by Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Karnataka,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Assam amongst N.E.
States.
The Government of India is implementing a nation wide malaria control programme
which has the following components:
(a) Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of malaria cases by instituting active
and passive surveillance through health care workers, health institutions and
community volunteers by establishing Drug Distribution Centres and Fever Treatment
Depots.
(b) Integrated vector control including selective indoor residual insecticidal
spraying, promotion of insecticide treated bednets and introduction of larvivorous
fishes.
(c) Information, education and communication for generating awareness about
prevention and control of malaria.
(d) Capacity building by training of health care workers and NGOs in prevention
and control activities of malaria and strengthening of State and District Malaria
Control Societies.
(e) Monitoring and evaluation of the programme through Management Information
System and periodic meeting with the State Programme Officers.
T.B.:Revised National TB Control Prgramme (RNTCP) is reviewed on continuous
basis by the Review Missions from the donor agencies as well as by the independent
Review Missions.The findings of the Missions are that the performance of the
Programme has been satisfactory and the revised strategy should be expanded to
cover the entire population of the country as early as possible.
Recently Government of India – WHO joint monitoring mission comprising of
International Experts evaluated the Programme in September, 2003 and applauded
RNTCP as the fastest expansion in the history of DOTS and also for maintaining
high levels of treatment success.
Further, programme is regularly reviewed by the Ministry and Directorate General
of Health Services through meetings of the Programme Officers of all States and Union Territories and field level reviews
by visits of the officers from Ministry and Directorate General of Health Services. Quarterly reports
from districts are also reviewed at State and National level and feed back being sent to districts for
necessary action.
As per first Quarter Report, 2004 performance of RNTCP, State-wise is at ANNEXURE-I.
LEPROSY: The country is making satisfactory progress towards the goal of achieving elimination of
leprosy i.e. to bring down the prevalence rate (PR) of leprosy to less than one case per 10,000 population.
As of March, 2004, 17 States and UTs have achieved this goal. Another 7 States are having a PR between
1 & 2 per 10,000 population and are thus close to achieve the above goal. Out of the remaining States, 9
States are having prevalence between 2 to 5 per 10,000 population and only 2 States/UTs are having
prevalence rate more than 5 namely Chhattisgarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The State-wise prevalence rate is given at ANNEXURE-II.
The National Leprosy Eradication Programme is being implemented as a 100% Centrally Sponsored
Scheme in all the States/UTs of the country with the objective of reaching the level of elimination i.e.
leprosy cases less than one per 10,000 population in the country.
AIDS: The National AIDS Control Programme was reviewed on 29th March, 2004.Diverse issues
related to the AIDS Control Programme were discussed with the Project Directors of the State AIDS
Control Societies. The focus of discussion was on State specific activities for prevention of HIV,
reaching out to adolescents, young adults and migrant populations, and expanding the agenda on
care, treatment and support.
The remedial actions suggested in the meeting are as under:-
(i) Increase in provisions of voluntary counseling and testing centers and expansion
of targeted interventions to cover more high risk groups.
(ii) Increase coverage of schools for AIDS awarenss and also integrated AIDS awarenss activities
with other health programmes;
(iii) Make provision of sexually targeted intervention drugs below the district level;
(iv) Identification of institutions in the States for building their training capacity and also
increase activities for training of medical, para-medical and private practitioners.
(v) Filling up of vacant posts in the State AIDS Control Societies by the concerned States.
(vi) Increase monitoring, supervision and coordination; and
(vii) Increase Intersectoral collaboration.