India has cut malaria cases, deaths significantly, says WHO report

India has significantly reduced its malaria incidence and mortality and exited the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) group of endemic countries officially in 2024, according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) World Malaria Report released on Wednesday.

The malaria caseload in India was slashed by 69 per cent from 6.4 million (64 lakh) in 2017 to two million (20 lakh) in 2023. Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased from 11,100 to 3,500 (a 68-per cent decrease) in the same period.

The WHO South-East Asia Region had eight malaria endemic countries in 2023, accounting for 40 lakh cases and contributing 1.5 per cent to the burden of malaria cases globally.

In 2023, India accounted for a half of all estimated malaria cases in the region, followed by Indonesia, which accounted for just under one third.

The estimated malaria deaths in the region fell by 82.9 per cent, from 35,000 in 2000 to 6,000 in 2023.

India and Indonesia together accounted for about 88 per cent of malaria deaths in the region, the WHO said.

More than 270 million (27 crore) malaria cases and 4.2 lakh malaria deaths were averted in the region between 2000 and 2023, the global health body said.

From 2000 to 2023, the number of malaria cases reduced by 82.4 per cent, from 2.28 crore in 2000, and incidence reduced by 87 per cent, from 17.7 to 2.3 per 1,000 population at risk.

The decrease can mainly be accounted for by a decrease in India of 1.77 crore estimated cases and a decrease in incidence by 93 per cent, from 20 to 1.5 per 1,000 population at risk.

Sri Lanka was certified malaria-free in 2016. Timor-Leste reported zero indigenous cases for a third consecutive year in 2023. Bhutan reported zero indigenous cases for a second consecutive year and Nepal reported only 15 indigenous cases.

Between 2022 and 2023, decreases in estimated cases were seen in Bangladesh (9.2 per cent), India (9.6 per cent), Indonesia (5.7 per cent) and Nepal (58.3 per cent), whereas the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (47.9 per cent), Myanmar (45.1 per cent) and Thailand (46.4 per cent) saw an increase.

From 2022 to 2023, all countries in this region in which malaria deaths occurred reported a decrease in the malaria mortality rate, except for Myanmar and Thailand. Bhutan and Timor-Leste have reported zero malaria deaths since 2013 and 2015 respectively.