The latest anti-malaria drugs are available at rural clinics throughout Myanmar. Pic: Ni Ni Myint

THE Ministry of Health has urged residents of rural areas who exhibit symptoms of malaria to visit healthcare clinics for testing and, if necessary, treatment.

“People in rural areas can get free checkups with rapid diagnostic test kits at community clinics to find out whether they have been infected with malaria,” said Dr Than Win, the deputy director of the department’s malaria prevention program.

“If the test shows the presence of malaria, the patient will be given medicine to treat the disease,” he said.

Dr Than Win said the ministry started distributing rapid test kits and the latest malaria medicines to clinics throughout the country in 2003.

“W started in only a few areas but with international assistance we have now reached 325 townships in all states and divisions,” he said.

According to ministry figures from 2006, the malaria infection rate in Myanmar is 9.6 per 1000 people, while the mortality rate is 2.98 per 100,000 people. Rakhine State has the highest occurrence of malaria in the country.

To help in the fight against malaria, the Department of Health under the ministry has distributed more than 500,000 tablets that can be dissolved in water to treat mosquito nets, as well as 50,000 pre-treated mosquito nets.

“The pre-treated mosquito nets were mainly distributed in remote mountain areas where it is difficult to send officials to provide medical care,” said Dr Than Win.

He said the Ministry of Health is using television, radio, newspapers, posters and pamphlets to educate the public about ways to prevent malaria.

Dr Than Win urged everyone to sleep with treated mosquito nets and to visit a clinic immediately if they suspected they had contracted malaria.

“It is also important for infected people to finish taking their medicine to eradicate the disease. Nowadays, malaria can be cured by taking the latest drugs over the course of three days,” he said.