Although Sri Lanka Eliminated Malaria In 2012 There's A Risk Of Spreading The Disease Again Due To Travelers

Although Sri Lanka eliminated the Malaria disease in 2012 ,Still around 50 Malaria patients are being reported from various provinces in the country annually due to foreign tourists and those locals who went to Malaria hit countries and returned according to the Director General Of Health Services Dr.Anil Jasinghe.

If necessary steps not been taken to treat import Malaria Patients coming from other countries there is a risk of spreading Malaria again in Sri Lanka Dr.Jasinghe has stated while addressing a Media Briefing held at Hotel Kingsbury ,Colombo this noon.

Malaria is transmitted from one person to another through a Mosquito Bite and Travelers going to Malaria endemic countries are at risk of getting Malaria he has stated.

Sri Lanka had received World Health Organization award for eliminating  Malaria from the country in 2016 Dr.Jasinghe has  admitted.

As Sri Lanka has launched several large scale development projects including Hotel Projects in Colombo and outside a large number of tourists are arriving as a result to the country and through some of them there's a great risk of spreading the disease in Sri Lanka again Dr.Jasinghe said.

Addressing the Briefing the Director of Anti Malaria Campaign Dr.H.D.B Herath has said that Although spreading of Malaria in Sri Lanka well under control due to the Tourist arrivals from neighboring India and those Sri Lankan travelers going to various parts of India there's a threat growing spreading the disease here again.As Malaria spreading rapidly in most parts of India he requested the Sri Lankans traveling there to get advise on how to prevent getting Malaria while in India from the Anti Malaria Camapign office in Narahenpita(Colombo) and provincial Malaria offices two weeks prior to the departure.