Professor and Head,
Department of Community Medicine,
SBKS MIRC, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Piparia
Title of the project (CB): Community behavior and its determinants in relation to Malaria prevention and control in Gujarat
Summary:
Malaria, though being a preventable and treatable disease, is still prevalent worldwide with approximately 228 million cases. India along with countries of Sub-Saharan Africa contributes to 85% of global malaria burden. The malaria cases have shown declining trend in our country from 2.08 million to 0.33 million over the last two decades but out of total cases reported, major portion of cases (approximately 80%) are from areas where one fifth of the population resides in tribal, hilly, difficult and inaccessible areas.
Along with tribal and rural area, malaria is becoming public health problem in urban area too in developing countries owing to rapid urbanization and varied socioeconomic and environmental conditions.
This project is intended to be carried out at two sites in Gujarat, they are Surendranagar and Dahod. The Surendranagar district is difficult and near to Rann of Kuchchh, whereas Dahod district is tribal area of Gujarat.
This project will give holistic understanding about socio-behavioural factors affecting acceptance of preventive and control measures pertaining to malaria in diverse communities i.e. urban, rural and tribal. It will help in filling the gaps in knowledge of behavioural barriers as well as facilitators for malaria transmission in particular community. The feasible solutions that will emerge as the end product of this project can become guiding principal for the area specific interventions.
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