Malaria outbreak in Vanni

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 May 2002, 21:23 GMT]
Northeast provincial health authorities Tuesday warned about an outbreak of malaria in the Vanni region. More than 3000 people were treated for Malaria during the past two months at the Killinochchi government hospital alone, medical sources said.

The Medical Superintendent of the Killinochchi hospital has requested the provincial health authorities to take immediate measures to eradicate the disease in areas held by the LTTE in the Vanni region.

Meanwhile, provincial health authorities in Trincomalee have started implementing Tetanus Toxoid vaccination programme in Mutur and Eachilampathu divisions, held by the Liberation Tigers.

According to medical sources, the vaccine is given to females between the ages of 15 to 45 years.

In another development, the provincial health authorities have inaugurated an awareness programme against epidemical diseases among migrant fishermen in the villages of Nilaveli and Kuchchaveli, north of Trincomalee town. With the signing of the cease-fire agreement, a large number of fishermen from the Negombo area in the western province are migrating to the Trincomalee coastal areas for seasonal fishing, sources said.