LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Malaris is now under control in Pangasinan with only 11 persons afflicted by the disease last year, a report of the Provincial Health Office on Tuesday stated.

Dr. Ana Ma. Theresa de Guzman, assistant provincial health officer, said records show that those afflicted came from only four towns that are still affected by malaria, namely Infanta, Mabini, Aguilar and Mangatarem, all in the western part of the province.

The province of Pangasinan comprises 44 towns and four cities.

“Actually, malaria is a disease which we can consider s totally controlled in Pangasinan as of today,” Dr. De Guzman said.

She said there are two kinds of malaria – the falcicarum malaria and the plasmodium malaria, such as the type found in the province of Palawan before.

Malaria is caused by the bite of another kind of vector called anopheles, which is different from aedes aegypti that causes dengue.

De Guzman credited the control of malaria in Pangasinan to the use of treated bed nets or mosquito nets immersed for six hours in a bowl of water where a tablet is diluted by people in malaria affected areas.

Then the treated mosquito net can be dried under the sun.

This kind of tablet being diluted in water was distributed to families in malaria-affected areas for their own protection against his disease, de Guzman said.

The treated mosquito net can be used continuously for eight months. It can be washed regularly and still retain the treatment. But after eight months, it can be immersed again in a bowl of treated water.

Total eradication of malaria for the next five years was targeted under the province’s investment plan, Dr. De Guzman revealed.

At the same time, the PHO is continuously coordinating with the Department of Health regional office whose personnel are doing regular spraying in the border areas between Pangasinan and Zambales, where the remaining malaria-affected areas are located.

The spraying operation in Pangasinan is being done simultaneously with neighboring Zambales so the anopheles mosquito will not just transfer from one province to another. (PNA)