Song to help spread anti-malaria message

KOLKATA: Struggling to cope with the malaria menace, KMC's health department has roped in eminent singers to conduct an awareness drive on the dreaded disease. A band of four renowned singers Lopamundra Mitra, Subhomita, Rupankar and Raghab Chatterjee have already come forward and extended a helping hand to the civic brass by recording a Bengali song on malaria.
The song, written by Chandril Bhattacharya, aims to make citizens aware of the dos and don'ts for preventing malaria. The song starts with identifying mosquitoes as prime enemies of human beings. Then, the singers give citizens advice on ways to prevent malaria, such as using mosquito nets and not letting water stagnate. The song then goes on to cover vital aspects of malaria prevention. In previous years, KMC's health department took several measures to prevent malaria including arranging street plays, distributing leaflets and an extensive campaign by using microphones across the city.
KMC's MMiC (health), Atin Ghosh, the brain behind the campaign, has got in touch with Nachiketa to record a Hindi version of the song. After recording Nachiketa's version, KMC will go for a special campaign to prevent malaria. "We are waiting for Nachiketa to lend his voice. Once his voice is recorded, we will undertake a special campaign, to be launched in the last week of August," Ghosh said on Wednesday.
KMC's health department has decided to book a slot on Doordarshan and other private channels to air their malaria campaign. The civic body will also book slots on FM radio stations. "We want to create an impact among citizens who need to be educated on the means of malaria prevention. If the citizens listen to their favourite singers on the ways to fight malaria, it will have a lasting impact," Ghosh said.
KMC also plans to play the songs on loudspeakers in some malaria-prone zones of the city. The zones include some posh areas where residents rarely use mosquito nets.
Nachiketa said that it was a "privilege" for him to participate in the awareness campaign. "It is a matter of surprise that we have failed to educate people on malaria prevention. I am glad that the present civic board has come forward to make people aware of their duties for the prevention of malaria," the singer said.