About 70 per cent of malaria cases reported from the South East Asia Region (SEAR) are from India, where the number of cases and deaths due to the vector-borne disease in 2014 saw an increase as compared to 2012, the government said on Friday.
“As per World Malaria Report 2015, SEAR contributes to 10 per cent of the global malaria burden. India contributes to 70 per cent of the total malaria burden in SEAR,” Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
He said there has been an increase in the number of confirmed cases and deaths due to malaria in 2014 as compared to 2012, but its trend has varied in the states.
“The increase in cases and deaths from malaria in some states is due to the spatial and intense transmission. The same is because of eco-entomological factors besides increased surveillance due to availability of bivalent rapid diagnostics tests kits,” Nadda said.
He said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was monitoring the parasitic protozoans becoming resistant to drugs but no resistance to the currently used drugs has been observed in India.
To control malaria, the government does surveillance and case management, integrated vector management which includes indoor residual spray and anti-larval measures, epidemic preparedness and early response and supportive interventions including capacity building, inter-sectoral collaborations and monitoring and evaluation amongst others, he added.
Replying to another question, Nadda said the national Framework for Malaria elimination in India 2016-2030 has been launched.
The framework has been developed with a vision to eliminate malaria from the country and contribute to improved health and quality of life, he said.
It encourages all Indian states, with different levels of malaria transmission, to interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all states and UTs ahead of 2030, he said.
“The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA)s have already been trained and provided the rapid diagnostic test kits for diagnosis of malaria,” Nadda said.
PTI