Tata Steel Foundation distributes over 24,000 mosquito nets to communities in Jharkhand

Jamshedpur, April 26: Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) commemorated World Malaria Day on April 25 by organising location-specific events in collaboration with district health authorities and National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

Total over 24,000 mosquito nets have been distributed to mark the occasion at Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum), West Bokaro (Ramgarh), Noamundi (West Singhbhum) and Jamadoba (Dhanbad). The numbers are 10,000 in East Singhbhum, 6,000 in Ramgarh, 5,293 in West Singhbhum and 2,780 in Jamadoba.

The initiative is in consistence with the Foundation’s overall strategy to enhance public health across the operational geographies.

The theme of the event – Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement – is part of Tata Steel Foundation’s commitment to creating healthy communities and address the issue of several mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, etc., which continue to be a significant public health issue and a cause for deaths and disease in the communities.

Dr Anuj Bhatnagar, Head, Public Health at Tata Steel Foundation said, “Tata Steel Foundation, as part of its commitment to create healthy communities, has undertaken to address the issue of several mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, filariasis, Japanese Encephalitis etc which continue to be a major public health issue and a cause for deaths and disease in the communities. As part of its program, TSF has distributed mosquito nets to communities to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, in collaboration with various district health authorities. Communities have also been trained in the proper use and maintenance of mosquito nets. Distribution of mosquito nets on World Malaria Day and raising awareness about these diseases as one of the interventions aimed to reduce the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases in several parts of Jharkhand and Odisha, especially in tribal and remote communities which continue to suffer from these diseases, with focus on complete prevention of the diseases.”

The disease is mainly concentrated in the tribal and remote areas of the country. Vulnerable groups like pregnant women and extreme age group individuals are at the greatest risk of mortality from malaria. One of the strategies under the Vector-Borne Disease (VBD) Control Programme of Tata Steel Foundation is to reduce human-mosquito contact. The use of bed nets is an established method to protect humans from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases.

The mosquito nets have also been distributed in several parts of Odisha including Kalinganagar, Joda, Gopalpur and Bamnipal.