Government targets to eradicate malaria from Rajasthan by 2022

Jaipur: Rajasthan eyes to achieve zero indigenous case of malaria by 2022. Malaria, once a common fever, is still contributing not only to mortality and morbidity but imposes economic burden on the people.

In the state, more than 3,000 cases of malaria have reported till date this year. However, for the past two years, no death due to malaria has reported from the state. In 2016, last death due to malaria was reported. In the same year, five persons tested positive for malaria had died. In 2015, three persons died of malaria, while the toll was four in 2014.

Moreover, the number of persons diagnosed with malaria is also declining. In 2017, there were 10,607 persons were tested positive for malaria. In 2016, there were 12,741 cases of malaria. In 2014, the total number of malaria cases was 15,118.

To prevent the spread of malaria, the health department has declared it as a notifiable disease in May. Under notifiable disease, diagnostic centres and doctors have to report each malaria positive case to health department.

In an effort to eliminate malaria from the state, health department has issued directions to all the districts to take measures to eradicate malaria from their respective districts.

“We are holding meetings in districts such as Udaipur and Bikaner informing them about the targets to achieve to end malaria in the state,” said Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, additional director (rural health), health department.

India is targeting to eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) throughout the entire country by 2030. Rajasthan is among the 26 low and moderate transmission states/union territories (UTs) and it has been assigned to eliminate malaria by 2022.

The challenging task after eliminating malaria is to prevent the re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and maintain malaria-free status by 2030 and beyond.