Since 2000, India has made major inroads in reducing the toll from malaria. But the path towards total elimination has proven a challenge in the eastern state of Odisha, which carries more than 40% of the country's malaria burden. In recent years, the State Government has dramatically scaled up efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria - with impressive results seen in a short span of time. The work follows the recommendations of the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria which calls for early case detection, prompt treatment and the widespread use of mosquito-control measures.

Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030

The strategy was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015. It provides a comprehensive framework to guide countries in their efforts to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination. The strategy sets the target of reducing global malaria incidence and mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030.

It emphasizes the need for universal coverage of core malaria interventions for all populations at risk and highlights the importance of using high-quality surveillance data for decision-making. It also identifies areas where innovative solutions will be essential for attaining the goals, and summarizes the estimated global costs of implementation.16

India focuses on Odisha and the tribal states

India's goal of eliminating malaria by 2030 may appear, at first glance, to be easily attainable. Reported cases of the disease dropped by around half between 2001 and 2016 and, in nearly three-quarters of India's more than 650 districts, the number of people falling ill from malaria is very low.

But India's path towards Malaria elimination has proven to be particularly difficult in the remote and rugged tribal areas of the country's north-east region and in the state of Odisha to the east – areas where malaria is one of the most common health problems.

The challenges are many –

  • A forest-based economy in India's tribal states means many people work in areas thick with the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.
  • Residents typically sleep outdoors, where they are easy targets for mosquitoes.
  • In addition, people often wear inadequate clothing, which leaves them vulnerable to mosquito bites, and are often reluctant to seek medical help when they first develop symptoms of the disease.
  • What's more, mosquitoes in these areas tend to transmit the disease efficiently and have developed resistance to as many as 3 of the 4 WHO-recommended classes of insecticides.

To overcome these challenges and following the recommendations of WHO's Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, Indian health authorities are increasing efforts to provide free access to bed nets, expand the use of rapid diagnostic tests and provide early treatment for cases of the disease.

Download >> India Takes On Malaria In Its Highest Burden States; World Health Organization (WHO)

Footnote

16 http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/atoz/9789241564991/en/

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