Thakur demands 10 yr programme for elimination of Kala-Azar

Patna, Apr 5 (UNI) Former Union Health minister C P Thakur today demanded a 10 year programme for complete eradication of Kala-Azar from the the country.

Addressing mediapersons here the eminent doctor said spread of Kala-Azar had taken the form of an epidemic and 21,177 cases were detected in Bihar. He said the disease mostly affects poor and especially the dalits.

''The spread of Kala-Azar among the dalits is fast reaching an alarming level and the government should make special efforts to check it. Otherwise the very existence of this community would be at stake,'' Dr Thakur added.

The former minister informed that four districts--Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Samastipur--were the worst affected.

About the situation in other states, he said ten districts of West Bengal, five of Uttar Pradesh, and four of Jharkhand were affected.

Dr Thakur said neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal were also afflicted with Kala-Azar where 34 and 12 districts were facing the fury of the dreaded disease.

The Centre, he said, had launched a Rs 28 crore project to eliminate the disease from Bihar in 1992 but it could not yield the desired result as the state govermment failed to pay its share of Rs 7 crores.

''Aggressive spraying of DDT and treatmemt of Kala-Azar patients with drug like Amphotericin or Ambibisome would completely eradicate the disease from Bihar,'' he observed.

He pointed out that plastering of inner wall and floor of the houses would help check breeding of ''Sand fly'' responsible for spread of the disease.

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