New Delhi: Malaria has long been a cause of concern all over India and that trend has continued for decades. However, India is now taking strong strides towards a malaria-free status. In 2023, zero malaria cases were reported in 122 districts in the country, suggests the data from the Union Health Ministry. A milestone for India, this data was released on Wednesday, and India is now no longer part of WHO’s high-burden group for malaria. A 97% dip in annual cases is an impressive leap as cases dipped from 7.5 crores in 1947 to 20 lakhs by 2023.
Experts said that multi-pronged strategies had a role to play in this and the government is also currently eyeing a goal of malaria-free India by 2023. At Independence, malaria was said to be one of the most pressing healthcare problems. Over decades, efforts were made to reduce the case count. The health ministry in its statement said that elimination of malaria is a goal that may improve the public health of citizens. The World Malaria Report of 2024 by the WHO hailed India’s success.
“India’s achievements include a significant reduction in malaria cases and malaria-related deaths between 2017 and 2023. This success is further highlighted by India’s exit from the WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024, signifying a turning point in its fight against malaria. These achievements reflect the nation’s robust public health interventions and its vision to achieve malaria-free status by 2030,” the health ministry said in its statement.
The feat is impressive as both malaria cases and deaths have dipped significantly by 80% from 2015-2023. Deaths also dropped from 384 to 83. At the same time, this brings to notice the importance of surveillance, timely diagnosis, and treatment. The National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME), which was launched in 2016, offered a roadmap to achieve 0 malaria cases by 2027. Largely, Integrated Vector Management (IVM) is to thank India’s malaria control efforts.
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