New software for fast detection and reporting of malaria

The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will release a new software for fast detection and reporting of malaria cases, on October 17.

Addressing media persons here on Thursday, Mayor Jacintha Vijaya Alfred said that the software was designed on the PPP model and under the guidance of former Mayor Mahabala Marla, Dr Shantaram Baliga and Naren Koduvattat.

The software will be made available to malaria control and action team, junior health assistants of the MCC and to the hospitals. With the software, it will be possible to report the cases and to carry out the control measures faster, she added.

The Mayor said that the initiative was a first of its kind in the nation and the software had been designed according to the rules laid down by National Vector Borne Diseases Control Project (NVBDCP).

With the GPS technology, the exact location of the malaria-affected areas can be uploaded into the software, which will be accessible to the MCC and to the State health department. All stages of malaria control activities will be recorded by the team, which will in turn compliment the relief measures, the mayor said.

The data such as the pictures of mosquitoe breeding places can also be uploaded through the software, she said.

The development of the software was funded by I -Point Consulting Service Pvt Ltd and Code Craft Technologies Pvt Ltd. The Karnataka Bank, which has sponsored the entire project under its CSR initiative, is also providing 50 tablet computers, required for the monitoring of the project, at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. The maintenance cost of the software, which is Rs two lakh for a year, is being sponsored by Corporation Bank, she said.
Deputy Mayor Purushottam Chitrapur and former Mayor Mahabala Marla were present among others.