A review meeting is scheduled to take place on April 9 between Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry officials and Health Directors of northeastern States at Guwahati to discuss the recent outbreak of malaria in Meghalaya. An official of the health department here said the meeting is being held to assess the outbreak of malaria before the monsoon in some of the northeastern States. The Union Ministry has already assessed the outbreak of the disease in Garo Hills through the Geographical Information System (GIS) to provide better transportation and communication facilities. The Union Government has identified the northeastern States as an endemic region. Sixteen per cent of malaria-related deaths in the country have been recorded from the North-east, especially by "drug resistant' Plasmodium falciparum. In the past two weeks, 31 people have died of malaria in East Garo Hills alone, prompting the health department to rush Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to the affected areas. Most of the malaria deaths were reported from Wakchikong, Silchang, Gandual, Chambildram, Nainggre and Mangsang villages in East Garo Hills. Of the 31 deaths, eight were confirmed cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, while other deaths were due to suspected cases of cerebral malaria, Director of Health Services Dr KH Lakiang said. The health department here has rushed medical aid and are carrying out intensified surveillance, awareness and spraying of DDT programmes in the affected areas to contain the disease. Meghalaya has already procured 1.5 lakh insecticide-treated mosquito nets for distribution in malaria-prone areas. The distribution has been postponed due to the Assembly election held earlier this month.