{"id":43986,"date":"2025-10-27T04:21:28","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T22:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=43986"},"modified":"2025-10-30T15:02:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T09:32:19","slug":"indias-malaria-milestone-highlights-from-who-world-malaria-report-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-malaria-milestone-highlights-from-who-world-malaria-report-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Malaria Milestone: Highlights from WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>\u00a0What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is Malaria?<\/li>\n<li>Key highlights of the WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024<\/li>\n<li>India specific observations in the WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The 2024 \u2018World Malaria Report&#8217; has been released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As per the report, India has made &#8220;significant progress&#8221; in reducing malaria incidence and mortality.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is Malaria?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It is a life-threatening disease primarily found in tropical countries.<\/li>\n<li>It is preventable and curable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transmission of Malaria<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Malaria is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another; the disease is transmitted through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Five species of parasites<\/strong> can cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species \u2013 Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax \u2013 pose the greatest threat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Key highlights of the WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Global Burden (2023):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>263 million cases and 597,000 deaths were reported globally.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/world-health-organisation\/\" target=\"_blank\">WHO<\/a> African Region accounted for 95% of deaths, disproportionately affecting young children and pregnant women.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global Progress Since 2000:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>2.2 billion malaria cases and 12.7 million deaths were averted.<\/li>\n<li>Case incidence dropped significantly, with steady improvements in many regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Certification of Malaria-Free Countries<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>As of November 2024, WHO has certified 44 countries and one territory, including Egypt most recently, as malaria-free.\n<ul>\n<li>Certification requires three consecutive years of zero indigenous malaria cases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>25 malaria-endemic countries now report fewer than 10 cases annually, up from 4 in 2000.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Country-Specific Trends in Malaria Cases<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reduction in Cases (2022-2023): <\/strong>Nepal (-58.3%), India (-9.6%), Bangladesh (-9.2%), and Indonesia (-5.7%).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increases in Cases: <\/strong>North Korea (+47.9%), Thailand (+46.4%), and Myanmar (+45.1%).<\/li>\n<li>Timor-Leste and Bhutan reported zero indigenous <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/malaria\/\" target=\"_blank\">malaria<\/a> cases in 2023.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South-East Asia\u2019s Contribution to Malaria Reduction<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The WHO South-East Asia Region accounted for 1.5% of global malaria cases in 2023, with <strong>India contributing nearly half<\/strong> and Indonesia about one-third.<\/li>\n<li>Estimated malaria cases in the region dropped by 82.4%, from 22.8 million in 2000 to 4 million in 2023.<\/li>\n<li>Malaria deaths in the region fell by 82.9%, from 35,000 in 2000 to 6,000 in 2023, with India and Indonesia accounting for 88% of these deaths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Challenges in Africa<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Despite global progress, Africa remains the region most affected by malaria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Funding and Systemic Challenges<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Funding in 2023 reached $4 billion, far below the $8.3 billion target set by the Global Technical Strategy.<\/li>\n<li>Insufficient funding resulted in gaps in insecticide-treated nets, medicines, and other critical tools.<\/li>\n<li>Additional challenges include fragile health systems, weak surveillance, and threats such as drug and insecticide resistance.<\/li>\n<li>Exacerbating factors include conflicts, natural disasters, climate change, and population displacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recommendations for Equity and Innovation<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Emphasis on robust data systems to monitor health inequities, with disaggregated data by sex, age, and social factors.<\/li>\n<li>Advocacy for equity, gender equality, and human rights as foundational principles of anti-malaria innovation.<\/li>\n<li>Engagement of affected communities in designing and evaluating new tools and approaches to combat malaria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Call to Action<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>To sustain progress and address persistent challenges, the WHO urges increased investments, innovative approaches, and targeted action in high-burden regions, particularly in Africa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>India specific observations in the WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>India Exits HBHI Group: Milestone in Malaria Control<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India has successfully reduced its malaria burden, exiting the High-Burden-High-Impact (HBHI) group of endemic countries.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The country&#8217;s malaria cases decreased by 69%, from 6.4 million in 2017 to 2 million in 2023, and malaria deaths fell from 11,100 to 3,500 in the same period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Strategies Behind India\u2019s Success<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy (ACT)<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Artemisinin kills most malaria parasites, while a partner drug clears the remaining parasites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>These nets block and kill mosquitoes, reducing mosquito populations and their lifespan when widely used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Targeted Interventions<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Focused efforts in forested and tribal areas in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the North-East improved access to diagnostics, treatments, and drugs.<\/li>\n<li>Deployment of new-generation insecticide-treated nets offered enhanced protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Effective Monitoring and Case Management<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Consistent evaluations helped ensure proper implementation of interventions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What are the key findings of WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The report highlights a 69% reduction in India\u2019s malaria cases and deaths from 2017 to 2023. Globally, malaria cases remain a concern, with 263 million reported in 2023, primarily in Africa.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. How did India achieve its malaria reduction milestones?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>India\u2019s success is attributed to combination therapies, long-lasting insecticidal nets, targeted interventions in high-risk areas, and consistent monitoring for improved case management.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/health-wellness\/who-report-says-india-reduces-malaria-caseload-deaths-by-69-each-9718650\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WHO report says India reduces malaria caseload, deaths by 69% each: Why combination drugs and insecticidal mosquito nets worked<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/health\/india-accounts-for-half-of-all-estimates-malaria-cases-in-2023-in-south-east-asia-region\/article68972448.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hindu<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/nation\/2024\/Dec\/11\/india-makes-significant-progress-in-malaria-control-deaths-drop-by-68-who-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Indian Express<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore India\u2019s significant progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths, as featured in WHO\u2019s World Malaria Report 2024. Learn about global trends, challenges, and the fight against this life-threatening disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":43987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-43986","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}