Malaria Is Raging in Kakheti

Malaria Is Raging in Kakheti

Kakheti Faces Danger of Epidemics and Ecological Disaster.

According to local population, In Heretiskari, Lagodekhi district village, nearly fifty facts of Malaria were observed. Nearly every second family has a member suffering from Malaria. The situation in swamped forest, Chiauri, worsens day by day. Consequently, the number of Malaria transferring mosquito, Anopheles, is increasing, which makes the Kakheti region face epidemics and ecological disaster, as specialists say.

Despite the fact, that both local and central governments are well informed about International Health Organization alarming data, (more than 2 Milliards of world population is under threat of malaria disease. Annually, nearly 300 to 500 million people get ill and 1 to 3 million die of it, 1-1, 5 million are children among them) Social Healthcare Regional centre, which is due to act against Malaria spreading, has been financially reduced.

According to the official information, first two facts of Malaria were observed in Board Military Unit in 1996. In 2000 epidemical situation has been tensed and 60 people got ill. In 2001, 160 more occasions were observed and so on. According to informal information, the number of diseased people is much bigger.

For natural climate conditions in Lagodekhi region, there is a great number of mosquitos Anopheles. Dredging and bank strengthening works of river beds like Apheni, Kabla and Areshi has not conducted for dozens of years. Flood Rivers join the river Alazani and than they percolate in Chiauri forest massive, that caused flooding and swamping of thousands of acres for over years. Unique flora and fauna are destroyed. Malaria takes its origin from here and first occasions of Malaria were observed in villages Heretiskari and Ulianovka, on the area surrounding the river Alazani. According to the government direction #91, on the 23rd February in 2006, 450 thousand GEL was distributed to Lagodekhi district budget from 2006 year state budget. According to the Environmental and Natural Resources Minister, rehabilitation fund is one million GEL, though it is vague when rehabilitation activities are going to take place in Chiauri forest.

Local population blames the district authority for appropriating the money and inattentivity.  Malaria is spreading at a flash speed and its liquidation is getting more and more impossible. Nunu Nozadze, director of Social Healthcare Regional Centre names the climate migration as a reason for Malaria while she spoke to “Human Rights Centre”: “Population moves to Azerbaijan from village Kabali regularly, where there were no attempts to liquidate the disease at all. Village Kobakhcho borders with Ulianovka area along 25 km. distance. Malaria transferring mosquito can cover tens of kilometers a day. Strong migration, natural climate conditions, endemic bed – all together give a good substance for malaria spreading. The most urgent is the fact of malaria’s transfer to Kartubani, Baiubani, Codniskari, Kavshiri and Lagodekhi from Ulianovka. With all ensuing consequences of epidemics, one fact of the disease can prompt 30000 more facts”- Nunu Nozadze is worried. “Last year we were financed by 37 thousand GEL under malaria control and treatment program, this year this sum was reduced to 16, 5 thousand GEL. The result is obvious, the number of ill people increased in comparison with last year. It is horrible. I applied to Tamaz Godziashvili with a report on current situation in Lagodekhi district, and asked him for help, as to a head of region, however, nobody has helped us yet.”- declares deputy director of Lagodekhi district Social Healthcare Centre, Anastasia Rcheulishvili.

Tamaz Godziashvili, head of Lagodekhi district, does not comment on the problem. Local population views only one way out- through demonstrations and they are getting ready for it.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti