World Malaria Day: MP sees 95% drop in malaria cases

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh has registered an overall drop of 95% in malaria cases.  The sharp reduction has been noticed from 2015 to 2022, said a report. World Malaria Day will be observed on Tuesday. 

“Data from 2015 to 2022 shows that Madhya Pradesh has registered an overall reduction of 95% in malaria cases,” said deputy director health Dr Himanshu Jaiswar while talking to Free Press.

According to a health department, for the last four years, Malaria cases are showing a downward trend in Madhya Pradesh, though last year, it witnessed a marginal rise. Plasmodium falciparum, which is a unicellular protozoan parasite of humans, and the deadliest species of Plasmodium that causes malaria in humans, showed the similar trend.

Major initiative on part of the Central government was Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) – about 5 crores nets were distributed in 7 North-East States, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha up to 2018-19. Another 2.25 crore LLINs were additionally supplied in 2020. Use of LLINs has been accepted by the community on a large scale and has been one of the main contributors to the drastic malaria decline, officials added.

District malaria officer Dr Akhilesh Dubey said, in 2019, Bhopal recorded 106 cases, while the figure significantly dropped to 12 in 2020, however it again went to 37 in 2021. While the figure stood at  18 in 2022, so far no case has been reported this year, said Dubey.

The health department continues to monitor vector-borne diseases and take required steps to prevent and check their spread, said Dubey, adding the department also raises awareness and provides testing and treatment to control malaria.

Malaria cases in last 5 years in MP

Year                               Malaria cases

2018                              22,279

2019                              14,147

2020                              6,760

2021                              3,161

2022                              3,826

2023                              315 (so far)

Plasmodium falciparum trend in last five years

Years                    Cases

2018                              6,332

2019                              3,627

2020                              3,973

2021                              1,688

2022                              2,452