By Nayak Paudel

Morang, May 6: While people have been staying at home to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, health experts have requested the public to take precaution against vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 390 million cases of dengue are reported every year across the globe with 70 per cent of burden in the Asian countries.
Similarly, 228 million cases of malaria were reported in the year 2018 with 405,000 deaths. South-East Asian countries reported the second highest cases of malaria with 3.4 per cent while African region contributed the most with 93 per cent of the total cases. “The government along with the public have special role to play for the prevention of dengue and malaria. If everyone performs their duty effectively, we can prevent the cases of dengue and malaria to a great extent,” said Dr Anup Bastola, chief consultant and spokesperson at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.
As per the data of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), cases of dengue had risen last year while cases of malaria had declined compared to the previous years.
Nepal had reported 3,424 cases of dengue in the year 2018/19 which was high in comparison to the previous years. The country had reported 811 cases in FY 2017/18, 2,111 cases in FY 2016/17 and 1,527 cases in FY 2015/16.
Likewise, the number of malaria cases had reached 1,065 in 2018/19. Nepal had reported 1,187 cases in FY 2017/18, 1,128 cases in FY 2016/17 and 991 cases in FY 2015/16.
According to health experts, the effective way to prevent excessive cases of dengue and malaria is by eradicating mosquitoes.
“These diseases transmit from mosquitoes. Firstly, people should prevent themselves from mosquito bites and the concerned authorities should kill the larva and the mosquitoes,” said Bastola.
The concerned authorities have mentioned that they are preparing for the commencement of the major season of dengue and malaria and so have requested the local bodies to prepare.

“As mosquitoes are the carriers of the virus responsible for dengue and malaria, the best way to prevent it is by killing the mosquitoes and their larva. We have requested the local bodies to prepare for search and destroy of larva and mosquitoes in their areas,” said Dr Prakash Prasad Sah, section chief at NTD & Vector Borne Disease Control Section of EDCD.
The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has also requested the public to help them in preventing the transmission of dengue and malaria.
“It has been raining often due to which water accumulates in different potholes where the larvae of mosquitoes can grow fast. Since people are at their homes, they can keep their periphery clean and fill the potholes so the water does not accumulate,” said Shah.
As per the division, they have also requested the federal government to facilitate the local governments and health service providers with testing facilities for dengue and malaria.
Since many individuals have returned from India, which contributes to more than half of malaria cases in South-East Asia, due to COVID-19, health experts say the testing facility for dengue and malaria should also be started.
“We have requested to test individuals for dengue and malaria alongside COVID-19. One individual in Kailali, who had returned from India and was kept in quarantine, was diagnosed with malaria,” said Sah. A 70-year-old person from Ward 8 of Waling Municipality in Syangja was diagnosed with dengue yesterday.
According to the division, the cases of both dengue and malaria have already been detected in different parts of the country.