Mangaluru : The Mangaluru City Corporation on Saturday formally launched Malaria Control Software – a technology-based initiative that helps in tracking and control of malaria. Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader and Mayor Jacintha Vijay Alfred launched the operations.

The software has been developed for the MCC by Mangalore Medical Relief Society with the assistance of I-Point, Code Craft Technologies, Karnataka Bank, Corporation Bank and the District Malaria Cell.

Environmental Engineer Manu said the software was the first of its kind in the country and it provides end-to-end solutions for malaria.

Right from the detection of cases of malaria, this system will be used to monitor treatment and also the action taken to destroy sources where malaria carrying mosquitoes breed. Based on the data that gets generated, the system can be used to assess risk from malaria and also predict areas where the parasite would prevail in the coming years, he said.

Mr. Manu said the software will be connecting the 57-odd Multi-purpose Workers (MPW) and their supervisors at the MCC with the 82 laboratories, nursing homes, hospitals and 15 monitoring officials from the MCC. Once an intimation of a person tested positive for malaria is sent by any of the 82 institutions, the MPW workers provided with tablets visit the place and check the breeding sites. They also test people in the neighbourhood having malaria and feed information using tablets to the system. This system was being monitored on a regular basis, Mr. Manu said.

Paediatrician Shantharam Baliga, who represented the society, said the need of having such a system of tracking and monitoring was being expressed for over several years. It only took a concrete shape during the tenure of Mayor Mahabala Marla and the society spent Rs. 5 lakh for its development. He said the society has designed another system for dengue control. But it needs funds from the State government or from the Indian Council for Medical Research to develop it, he said. While I-Point and Code Craft Technologies were involved in software development, Karnataka Bank provided 50 tablets to the MPW workers for Rs. 5 lakh. Corporation Bank has given Rs. 2 lakh, which was the cost of maintaining the system for one year. The MCC spent Rs. 2.5 lakh for the purchase of some tablets and towards training of personnel.