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This is an archive article published on December 1, 2023

Malaria cases continue to dip in India, up globally: WHO report

There were around 33 lakh malaria cases and 5,000 deaths in India last year, a decrease of 30% and 34 % respectively compared with 2021.

Malaria cases continue to dip in India, up globally: WHO reportThe number of global malaria deaths was also higher: 608,000 deaths in 2022 compared with 576,000 in 2019.
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Contrasting the global trend, India continued to witness a decline in malaria cases and deaths in 2022, according to a new WHO report released Thursday.

There were around 33 lakh malaria cases and 5,000 deaths in India last year, a decrease of 30% and 34 % respectively compared with 2021.

Globally, there were 249 million cases in 2022, 5 million more than in 2021.

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According to the World Malaria Report 2023, the number of malaria cases globally had plateaued over the last decade or so — down from 243 million in 2000 to 233 million in 2019 — and increased during the pandemic. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there were 11 million more cases. The figures remained the same in 2021 only to increase in 2022.

The number of global malaria deaths was also higher: 608,000 deaths in 2022 compared with 576,000 in 2019.

“This is due to good preventive and case management strategies and availability of effective vector control tools as well as point of care diagnostics and prompt treatment at community level,” said Dr Neena Valecha, former director of National Institute of Malaria Research.

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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