The incidence of malaria has been dropping by 20% for two consecutive years, said state Health officials.
According to statistics released by thestate health department, while 19,303 cases were detected in 2021, the numbers dropped to 15,451 cases in 2022. This is a 20% drop in annual cases. Moreover, a comparison of cases in the periods between January and May 2022 and 2023, too, shows a 20% drop, said a state official. Till May this year, the state had 2,571 malaria cases.
These numbers gain significance as India is working towards malaria elimination by 2030. By 2027, the country has to achieve zero transmission, and if sustained for three years, the World Health Organisation would declare elimination of the mosquito-borne parasitic infection from the country.