IRS- One of the Effective strategy to Reduce the Vector Growth in Kala Azar Affected Areas

No doubt in the current scenario most of the health programs focus on the Maternal and Child health issues due to the high mortality and morbidity rate. Still then in developing countries like India, the mortality and morbidity rate in diseases (other than MCH) is also too high. In order to reduce the

Preparation of solution for IRS

mortality & morbidity rate and to achieve the MDG-6 i.e to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other disease (Both Communicable and Non-communicable disease) the Dept. of Health and Family Welfare has tried to use its existing setups (different administrative units), but due to unavailability of trained as well as clinical personnel’s they are not able to achieve desired outcomes.

IRS-Sqauds with the community Mobilisers and  Monitoring Team

Keeping eyes on the above issues, the Health and Family Welfare Dept. has decided to merge the Five major vector borne (Malaria, Kala Azar, Falaria, Japenese Encephilities & Dengue) diseases under the umbrella of National Vector Borne Disease Control Program during 2003-04. The administrative division is merged but due to lack as well as unavailability of resource in time, the outcome was not meet the expectation. But after the launch of NRHM (National Rural Health Mission) there is a paradigm shift in the flow of funds for different health programs.

In order to reduce the incidences rate of the vector borne diseases, two major strategies adopted by the Government: 1. Reduction of Vector Growth 2. Reduction of Parasitic growth. To reduce the vector growth, the Govt. also undertakes different activities like: Fogging, Distribution Insecticide treated net, Spray Chemicals like DDT in the surroundings etc. But when we focus on Kala Azar it is more challenging because most of the above strategies fails.  It is because the vector (Sand Fly) is microscopic in size, mainly found inside the room (Muddy areas, holes and cracks on the wall). Hence the Govt. has adopted Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) method to combat the vector growth.

Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) focuses on spray of insecticides within the house to kill the vector. As per the norms. this generally takes place twice a year (i.e when the vector population is high). It has been proved that the quality and coverage of IRS has a direct impact over the incidence rate, but still there are certain challenges which has been addressed during the implementation of the program and some of these also resolved with passing of time.