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The Union Health Ministry on Friday reviewed the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of malaria elimination in India by 2030, with Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Aradhana Patnaik emphasising the need for focused, area-specific strategies and strengthened surveillance.
According to the press release, Mission Director Aradhana Patnaik chaired a high-level review meeting attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), Mission Directors of National Health Missions and District Collectors of concerned States and districts. India has made significant progress in reducing the burden of malaria through sustained public health interventions. Between 2015 and 2025, malaria cases and deaths in the country declined by nearly 80 per cent, while the number of high-burden districts fell from 155 to 33. As many as 160 districts reported zero indigenous malaria cases during 2022-2025, reflecting sustained interruption of local transmission and the impact of focused malaria control and elimination interventions. The review focused on 33 high-burden districts across nine States and Union Territories, which accounted for 64 per cent of malaria cases and 54 per cent of malaria deaths reported in 2025. Detailed State-wise reviews were undertaken for Mizoram, Odisha, Tripura, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. Patnaik emphasised the need to maintain a high level of vigilance and adopt focused strategies based on local epidemiological and geographical conditions. She stressed the effective implementation of District Action Plans in all 33 high-burden districts and Village Action Plans in high-burden villages. The meeting also highlighted the importance of early detection and complete treatment under the Test, Treat and Track strategy. States were advised to strengthen active surveillance and ensure uninterrupted availability of diagnostic facilities and anti-malarial drugs, particularly in hard-to-reach and vulnerable areas. Delays in diagnosis and treatment were identified as critical factors contributing to malaria deaths. The States were therefore advised to strengthen surveillance mechanisms and ensure timely treatment of malaria cases. The review further stressed the need to improve data quality and strengthen surveillance systems. States were advised to examine unusually high Annual Blood Examination Rates to identify possible duplicate testing, repeated entries and inclusion of asymptomatic screening. It was emphasised that asymptomatic cases detected through mass screening should be reported separately and excluded from API and ABER calculations to ensure accurate assessment of the malaria situation and programme performance. She also stressed the importance of intersectoral convergence in achieving malaria elimination, noting that health interventions alone cannot address factors such as water-logging, source reduction and environmental management that contribute to malaria transmission. States were advised to strengthen coordination with the Departments of Rural Development and Urban Development, as well as Panchayati Raj Institutions, for effective implementation of environmental and vector-control measures. Greater engagement of Self-Help Groups, community volunteers and Panchayati Raj representatives was also encouraged to strengthen community participation in early reporting of fever cases, identification of water-logging and mosquito breeding sites, and implementation of source-reduction activities. The meeting was attended by Prabhakar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Nikhil Gajraj, Joint Secretary (VBD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr Tanu Jain, Director, NCVBDC; Mission Directors of NHM; State Programme Officers of the concerned States; District Collectors; Chief Medical Officers and District Malaria Officers of the concerned districts. (ANI)
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