MALARIA CONTROL

EVALUATION WAS COMPILED THROUGH A REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL MALARIA ERADICATION PROGRAM EVALUATION AS WELL AS FIELD TRIPS AND CONFERENCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THE ARRIVAL OF USAID COMMODITY INPUTS WAS DELAYED BY MORE THAN A YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TIME REQUIRED FOR THE GOVT OF INDIA AND USAID TO REACH AGREEMENT OF INSECTICIDE SPECIFICATIONS AND PACKAGING AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. ADDITIONAL DELAYS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF A REQUIREMENT OF THE GOI INSECTICIDE ACT WHICH REQUIRES A TWO YEAR WARRANTY ON INSECTICIDES AND THE USE OF METAL CONTAINERS. MALARIA INCIDENCE HAS CONTINUED TO DECLINE FROM 4.7 MILLION CASES IN 1977 TO 4.1 MILLION CASES IN 1978 AND 3.0 MILLION CASES IN 1979. MAJOR FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SUCCESS ARE THE INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH VOLUNTEERS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF VILLAGE LEVEL DRUG DISTRIBUTION CENTERS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT UNPLANNED EFFECT OF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN A RE-EVALUATION OF THE 1968 INSECTICIDES ACT BY THE GOI ON ITS SUITABILITY TO PRESENT PROCUREMENT AND APPLICATION PRACTICES. ALSO THE EXPANSION OF THE USE OF VILLAGE VOLUNTEERS TO OVER 300,000 HAS BEEN MORE RAPID THAN PLANNED. LASTLY, THE RAPID INCREASE IN AWARENESS ON THE PART OF DISTRICT NMEP OFFICERS CONCERNING ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THEIR WORK HAS BEEN UNPLANNED. LESSONS LEARNED INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) INDIA"S MALARIA EFFORTS ARE SO VAST AND VARIED THAT THE TRANSFER OF SPECIFIC PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES TO ANOTHER COUNTRY WOULD BE DIFFICULT; 2) A LONGER TIME ELEMENT SHOULD BE USED IN IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULES; AND ADDITIONAL CONSULTANT TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED EARLIER TO THE PROJECT TO ASSIST ON THE INSECTICIDE SPECIFICATIONS PROBLEM AND TO COMPLETE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF THE PROJECT.