On World Malaria Day, Vedanta institutes Malaria awareness drive in Lanjigarh
IndiaCSR News Network
NEW DELHI: Vedanta Limited, India’s only diversified natural resources company has achieved a feat of successfully eradicating cases of death by malaria in Lanjigarh, Odisha. This feat has been continuous for the last three years. Moreover, the cases of pediatric malaria have gone down by around 50% over the past few years.
In Lanjigarh, through the Zero Malaria Drive, Vedanta has reached out to 50000 people including pregnant women, infants and old age persons. Under its Corporate Social Responsibility, the company is committed to eradicate malaria from 40 villages in the Lanjigarh block. On World Malaria Day Vedanta Lanjigarh is organizing awareness session on malaria and blood test camp in Basantpada, catering to a catchment of 12 villages. Another awareness session will sensitize youth to fight back Malaria.
“The idea of sustainable development is deeply ensconced in Vedanta’s business ethos. The company is committed to the socio-economic transformation of local communities residing around the plant sites and undertakes several initiatives to promote sustainable development. Vedanta has focused on developing modern health amenities, educational facilities for children and skill development programmes for adults and the Zero Malaria Drive is one important health commitment to eradicate malaria from the vicinity,” said Bimalanand Senapati, COO, Vedanta Limited in Lanjigarh.
The programme is run in partnership with District Health Department, Kalahandi and Vedanta’s Implementing Partner Nirmala Kruti Bikas Trust and now Punaruthan Voluntary Organisation, Balasore and Pest Control India (Pvt) Limited and Orion Pest Control. Extensive campaigns are run from mid-summer to end of monsoons every year besides the year round health and awareness camps conducted in each village. The campaign consist of raising awareness about preventive measures like sprinkling of bleaching powder, phenyl, sanitation drive, fogging and anti-larva spraying.
As a part of the campaign, initiatives such as collecting blood samples, examination and providing free health services & medicines to malaria positive patients as a curative measures and creating awareness among the community through IEC activity – street play, putting banners, leaflet distribution in the villages and public places are conducted. School Teachers, Students, Health Workers, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, Self Help Groups, local youth, other members of Gaon Kalyan Samitis, NGOs and PRI Members are the change agents and facilitate spreading the awareness amongst the community. Besides this, Vedanta has provided 20,000 mosquito nets to the underprivileged people.
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Website: http://www.vedantaaluminium.com/
