Context

• According to World Malaria Report 2024, released by World Health Organization (WHO), India has significantly reduced its malaria incidence and mortality and exited the High Burden High Impact (HBHI) group of endemic countries officially in 2024.

Highlights of Report

• In 2023, malaria cases surged to an estimated 263 million across 83 countries.
• Africa continues to account for 94% of global cases and 95% of malaria deaths in 2023.
• Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger and Tanzania, contributed over half of the region’s deaths.
• Performance of India between 2017 and 2023
• Estimated cases of malaria fell, from 6.4 million to 2 million, a 69% decrease.
• Deaths declined, from 11,100 to 3,500, marking a 68% reduction over the same period.
• In 2024, India officially exited the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group.

HBHI

• “High Burden to High Impact” (HBHI) catalyzed in 2018 by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.
• India has adopted this approach in May 2019.

Malaria

• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
• Parasites are transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
• Vaccines: RTS,S/AS01 vaccine (Approved by WHO in 2021), R21/Matrix-M (Approved by WHO in 2023).

Initiatives

• The Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 (GTS) calls for reducing malaria cases and deaths by at least 40% by 2020, at least 75% by 2025 and at least 90% by 2030.
• The National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030 document launched on 11th February, 2016, to achieve the target of malaria elimination by 2030.

About WHO

• Estb: 7 April 1948
• HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
• Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Major Reports: World Tuberculosis Report, Ambient Air pollution Report, Global Economic Prospects Report, Poverty and Shared Prosperity