India aims to achieve malaria-free status by 2030, with a reduction in cases and deaths.
Malaria cases and deaths in India decreased significantly by almost 80% between 2015 and 2023, with cases decreasing from 11,69,261 in 2015 to 2,27,564 in 2023 and deaths decreasing from 384 to 83. The government announced this reaffirming his vision of achieving malaria. -free status by 2030. (1✔ ✔Trustworthy source
Update on India’s progress in malaria elimination
) In 2023, no cases of malaria were reported in 122 districts of various states, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. At the time of independence in 1947, malaria was one of the most pressing public health challenges, with approximately 7.5 million cases annually and 800,000 deaths.
India’s triumph over malaria
Over decades, tireless efforts have slashed these numbers by more than 97 percent, with cases declining to just 2 million and deaths falling to just 83 in 2023. The latest World Malaria Report 2024, published by the World Organization of Health (WHO), celebrates India’s important advances.
“This success is further highlighted by India’s exit from the WHO’s High Burden, High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024, marking a turning point in its fight against malaria. These achievements reflect the robust interventions of the nation’s public health system and its vision to achieve malaria-free status by 2030,” the ministry said.
From 2015 to 2023, numerous states have moved from the highest burden category to the significantly lower or zero burden category. In 2015, 10 states and Union Territories were classified as high burden (Category 3). Of them, in 2023 only two states (Mizoram and Tripura) remain in category 3, while four states, such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Meghalaya, have reduced the number of cases and have moved to category 2.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli significantly reduced the number of cases and moved to category 1 in 2023. Simultaneously, intensified surveillance efforts have led to a significant increase in the annual testing rate of blood (ABER). increasing from 9.58 (2015) to 11.62 (2023).
This enhanced surveillance has ensured early detection, timely intervention and more effective treatment, the government said. Integrated vector management (IVM) has been at the center of malaria control efforts in India. Strategies such as indoor residual spraying (IRS) and distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have significantly reduced mosquito populations and interrupted the transmission cycle.
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The targeted management of invasives Anopheles stephensi The mosquito has further strengthened urban malaria control efforts, the ministry said.
Reference:
- Update on India’s progress in malaria elimination – (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2087878)
Source-IANS
