BURDEN OF MALARIA IN SINDH, PAKISTAN: A TWOYEARS SURVEILLANCE REPORT -

OBJECTIVES: To determine the malaria burden in Sindh province of Pakistan and suggest appropriate measures to prevent and control this problem. DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: All districts of Sindh during January 2004 to December 2005. METHODS: This study was based on data of provincial malaria control program of Sindh. Active and passive case detection and malariometric survey of population of Sindh are done by health workers of this program in all districts. A monthly report is then sent to the central pool at Hyderabad for compiling and analysis of the data. RESULTS: In years 2004 and 2005, all districts of Sindh were covered by malaria control program. Malaria microscopists observed more than 2.82 million blood slides by all three methods of case collection with an average blood examination ratio of 4. More than 68,000 slides were reported positive for malarial parasite with an average slide positivity rate of 2.41%. Average plasmodium falciparum ratio in years 2004 and 2005 was 33% and 37.2% respectively. Estimated annual parasite incidence was 5.6 per 1000 population and 3.85 per 1000 population in years 2004 and 2005 respectively. In this period, malaria remained endemic in whole of Sindh throughout the year but incidence was relatively higher in coastal areas and rainy and post rainy seasons. CONCLUSION: Malaria is endemic in whole Sindh province round the year. It becomes high risk in coastal districts in rainy and post rainy seasons. Annual parasite incidence is unacceptably high and plasmodium falciparum ratio is increasing in many districts of Sindh. Hence, effective malaria control under global initiative of Roll Back Malaria Program is the need of hour in this situation.