Story to this point: In 2016, below the Nationwide Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016-2030), India set an formidable goal of eliminating malaria (zero indigenous circumstances) by 2030 and an interim milestone of halting indigenous transmission throughout the nation, together with all high-transmission states and union territories (UTs), by 2027. By the tip of 2025, the Ministry of Well being and Household Welfare (MOHFW) reported that 160 districts and UTs in 23 states had reported zero indigenous malaria circumstances from 2022 to 2024 as a result of robust surveillance and sustained interventions. This was thought-about an necessary milestone because it means the nation is near fully eradicating malaria.
How is illness prevalence measured?
In line with the World Well being Group (WHO), a rustic is licensed as malaria-free if “chains of native transmission of all human malaria parasites have been damaged nationally for a minimum of three consecutive years and a completely functioning surveillance and response system is in place to stop the recurrence of endemic transmission.” As of mid-2025, 47 international locations or territories have been formally licensed malaria-free by WHO.
The place does India stand?
The World Malaria Report 2025 states that India has made vital progress in decreasing malaria incidence and mortality in endemic states and has formally left the WHO’s Excessive Burden to Excessive Affect group in 2024. Malaria circumstances in India decreased by about 80% from 2015 to 2023. In 2024, India will account for 73.3% of the estimated 2.7 million malaria circumstances within the WHO Southeast Asia Area. Though native transmission via inhabitants actions and cross-border importation stays a key problem, India is on observe to attain the WHO World Technical Technique for Malaria (GTS) 2016-2030 goal of decreasing incidence by a minimum of 75% by 2025 (in comparison with 2015 baseline), and has already achieved a discount of greater than 70% by 2024, the World Malaria Report added.
In Tamil Nadu, for instance, the variety of malaria circumstances has steadily decreased from 5,587 in 2015 to 321 in 2025, in response to knowledge from the state’s Directorate of Public Well being and Preventive Medication. Since 2023, 33 out of 38 districts have reported zero circumstances of indigenous infections, and are categorized as “Class O” (recurrence prevention stage). The remaining 5 districts, together with the capital Chennai, are categorized as ‘Class I’ (elimination stage) with an annual parasite incidence fee (API) of lower than 1 case per 1,000 folks in danger.
How is India tackling malaria eradication?
The nation has developed two nationwide plans to information and speed up malaria elimination. One is the Nationwide Framework for Malaria Eradication in India (2016-2030), which outlines the imaginative and prescient, targets and targets for phased malaria eradication, and the opposite is the Nationwide Strategic Plan (NSP) for Malaria Eradication (2023-2027), which builds on the earlier framework. In line with the NSP, key methods embody reworking malaria surveillance as a core intervention for malaria eradication, strengthening and optimizing case administration via “check, deal with, and hint” to make sure common entry to malaria analysis and therapy, and strengthening and optimizing vector eradication to make sure common entry to malaria prevention.
In Tamil Nadu, measures to detect malaria are intensively applied in authorities hospitals and first well being facilities. We can even implement larval extermination measures on the identical time. One of many focus areas is the monitoring of migrant staff. Intensive surveillance is carried out on staff coming from neighboring international locations the place malaria is endemic.
What are the challenges?
One problem is migration from neighboring international locations the place malaria is endemic, posing the danger of reintroduction into areas of low transmission. In line with NSP, city areas pose one other set of challenges to malaria eradication. The report mentioned there’s a particular concentrate on tough malaria paradigms comparable to city, forest, tribal, undertaking and border areas, hard-to-reach areas and migrant populations.
The World Malaria Report acknowledged that the WHO Southeast Asia Area has made vital progress in the direction of malaria elimination, attaining reductions in each incidence and mortality over the previous twenty years, however mentioned vital challenges stay. Persistent transmission of P. vivax accounts for practically two-thirds of circumstances within the area and continues to complicate elimination efforts. It added that India and Nepal are experiencing localized outbreaks as a result of inhabitants actions and cross-border imports, demonstrating the necessity for focused native and regional coordination. Different methods by India embody drug resistance monitoring, insecticide resistance monitoring, and guaranteeing compliance with 14-day healing therapy for P. vivax circumstances.
The World Malaria Report 2025 additionally highlights the rising menace of antimalarial drug resistance. The WHO factors out that: “Partial resistance to artemisinin derivatives, that are the spine of malaria therapy after failure of chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, is now confirmed or suspected in a minimum of eight African international locations, with potential indicators of diminished efficacy of some medicine utilized in mixture with artemisinin.”
With the federal government’s concentrate on attaining zero home infections by 2027 and guaranteeing the prevention of a resurgence of malaria, measures to strengthen surveillance programs and diagnostic capability, and strengthen management measures in high-burden areas are essential.
What’s the path ahead?
In its annual report for 2024-2025, MOHFW mentioned that in 2023, 34 states/UTs achieved an annual parasite incidence fee of lower than 1, besides two states – Tripura (5.69) and Mizoram (14.23).
Senior virologist T. Jacob John mentioned an important factor at this stage was the accuracy of the information. Second, strict public well being surveillance is required to make sure practitioners report circumstances. “All docs must be required to report even suspected circumstances of malaria,” he added.
TS Selvavinayagam, former Director Common of Public Well being and Preventive Medication, Authorities of Tamil Nadu, mentioned malaria in city areas remained a problem. “City areas and huge cities like Chennai face challenges as a result of fast urbanization, infrastructure development and huge variety of residential complexes that require consideration to water storage situations. Authorities alone can’t play a job right here, motion is required on the family stage because the supply of water is clear water,” he mentioned.
issued – January 25, 2026 5:32 AM IST
