India sees largest drop in malaria cases in south-east Asia between 2000-19

 

India made strong progress in the fight against malaria, recording the largest reduction in cases in South-East Asia from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million last year, WHO said

India made strong progress in the fight against malaria, recording the largest reduction in cases in South-East Asia from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

The World Malaria Report 2020, released Monday, said that in 2019, malaria cases globally numbered about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years.

Last year, the disease claimed about 409,000 lives, compared to 411,000 in 2018.

"Countries in South-East Asia made particularly strong progress, with reductions in cases and deaths of 73 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively. India contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide from approximately 20 million to about 6 million, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the report's forward.

The report said that the WHO South-East Asia Region accounted for about 3 per cent of the burden of malaria cases globally.

Malaria cases reduced by 73 per cent in the region, from 23 million in 2000 to about 6.3 million in 2019.

WHO noted the impressive gains made by India in the fight against malaria, with reductions in cases and deaths of 18 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, over the last 2 years?

India also recorded decrease in number of deaths from malaria between 2000 and 2019.

Malaria deaths in India declined from about 29,500 in 2000 to about 7700 last year, the report said.