P.vivax strain of malaria poses new lethal threat to India, says WHO

NEW DELHI: A particular strain of malaria parasite, which was believed to be less fatal, is now causing high disease burden, latest assessment by the World Health Organization shows. While asking India to strengthen its strategy for elimination of malaria, the agency said countries need to focus more on P.vivax, which was so far known as less fatal but where latest data shows the risk from the parasite increasing.

India, in particular has witnessed a huge growth in the number of malaria cases due to P.vivax. In 2013, there were an estimated 15.8 million symptomatic cases of P.vivax malaria globally. Out of this, two thirds occurred in the south-east Asia region which includes India, according to a latest WHO report on control and elimination of P.vivax malaria.

Though, the report doesn't provide specific number of P.vivax cases found in India, WHO said in a statement that India is a major contributor to the cases found in south-east Asia.

Separately, the Union health ministry's assessment under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme also shows though there is a slight dip in the malaria cases due to P. falciparum parasite, known to be more fatal.

According to a health ministry official, over 50% of total malaria cases in India are triggered by P.vivax.

"Our efforts so far focused on the most deadly P.falciparum malaria. We need to now broaden our strategy to include targeted interventions for P.vivax malaria, which is contributing to a large proportion of global malaria burden, mainly in the WHO south-east Asia region," said WHO regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh. WHO is hosting a global malaria meet in New Delhi to address the rising threat of P.vivax.

Experts say, P.vivax is proving to be an extremely difficult parasite as it does not readily respond to the existing control measures and has the ability to remain hidden and beyond the reach of the currently available diagnostic tools and medication.

"We need targeted strategies for P.vivax malaria which presents distinct challenges for control and elimination compared to P.falciparum," says Khetrapal.

WHO estimates that P.vivax could be responsible for up to 15% malaria deaths outside of Africa.

Reducing the burden of malaria is part of Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In May 2015, the World Health Assembly adopted the Malaria Global Technical Strategy 2016-2030, which aims to reduce malaria deaths and disease by at least 90% and eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030.