Malaria hits South Kalimantan

Malaria hits South Kalimantan

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: The chairman of the South Kalimantan Health Agency, Manahan K. Pangaribuan, said on Friday at least 5,117 people in the province had suffered from malaria since January of this year.

He said the disease had claimed one life so far and had spread to eight regencies in the province, covering 38 districts and 118 villages.

According to data, there were 16,566 cases of malaria in South Kalimantan last year, claiming 27 lives. In 2000, there were 16,937 cases with 32 deaths.

"We are aiming for a 25 percent reduction in the number of (malaria) victims," Manahan said.

He urged local residents to use mosquito spray and to keep their immediate environments free from standing pools of water, in order to avoid the spread of the Anopheles mosquito responsible for malaria. --Antara