Malaria alert along Thai-Myanmar border

[webfact]

Malaria alert along Thai-Myanmar border
By English News



BANGKOK, AUG 13 – Health officials on the Thai-Myanmar border have been instructed to be on alert for the possible spread of malaria particularly at worksites where labour from the neighbouring countries are employed, according to the Public Health Ministry.

Narong Sahametapat, permanent secretary for public health, said after inspecting hospitals in Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanburi and Payathonsu in Kawkareik district on the Myanmar border that 9,196 people have been reported suffering from malaria since early this year. Six of them have died.

The number of malaria patients in Kanchanaburi reached 1,800 since January – the second highest province after Tak which is also opposite the Myanmar border in Thailand’s North.

Sixty per cent of the malaria patients were Myanmar nationals, while 40 per cent were Thai.

Dr Narong said the Global Fund has contributed Bt3-4 million annually to hire volunteers to work at 60 malaria treatment units and 25 clinics on the Thai-Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi.

Worksites for Myanmar workers are sprayed with anti-malaria chemicals twice a year, he said.

He said about 10 per cent of Myanmar patients who were resistant to malaria drugs available in their own country crossed the border to seek medical treatment on the Thai side.

Dr Narong said health officials and volunteers at 760 malaria service units and clinics have provided health services to people from both sides of the border and gave free blood checks. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-08-13

[lee b]

I really hate these things, what do they actually do??.......Nothing! Same as wasps

[Curt1591]

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

[Brunovski]

spread of malaria particularly at worksites where labour from the neighbouring countries are employed

The mosquito's do not bite Thais????

[Dr Robert]

spread of malaria particularly at worksites where labour from the neighbouring countries are employed

The mosquito's do not bite Thais???? [/quote

]maybe they're more selective than we have given credit?

or perhaps they can better afford tea money!

[CIHUAHUA]

Ya think the B500 insurance will cover all the costs that the tourist minister want to charge visitors?

[chainarong]

This is interesting , you would actually think that Malaria was rare in this part of the world, for the un educated, it runs from northern Australia right up to the cooler climate of China , malaria crops up in small numbers every year in H.k. ,any tropical climate , same as Africa. Thailand has lots of Malaria.