National honour for Oriya doctor from Berhampur

BERHAMPUR: An Oriya doctor from Berhampur has done the state proud by winning a national award for his research on malaria control among underprivileged tribals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad awarded Manoj Das, a native of Berhampur, the prestigious Biomedical Research Award in New Delhi recently. The award was in recognition of his pioneering bio-environmental malaria control in Car Nicobar Island that reduced the prevalence of the vector borne disease without the use of insecticides. Das' 16-year-long project among local Nicobarese tribals.

Das, who works at National Institute of Malaria Research in Ranchi, said, "I have worked among primitive tribals such Jarwas, Andamanese, Onges, Nicobarese and Shompens in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. I am happy that my work helped in identifying and establishing the risk factors and methods to control the disease."

Das, an alumnus of Berhampur University, has published over 50 papers in national and international scientific journals. His contributions to malaria control have been appreciated and recognized by the air force, Social Welfare Advisory Board and Tribal Council of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Source: Times of India