Health minister Nadda hails WHO's Malaria report

India has reduced its new malaria cases by one third and even crossed the malaria mortality targets of 2020, said Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday.

While addressing a gathering at the High Level Roundtable on 'Accelerating the Elimination of Malaria in the South-East Asia Region', Nadda said "India has reduced its new malaria cases by one third and even crossed the malaria mortality targets of 2020.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report 2017 released today, only six percent of the 216 million new cases worldwide were reported from India.

"This success comes against the backdrop of the political leadership and support that health programs have received in India. The commitment to ensure health for every person in India comes from the highest office of the Government," the union health minister said.

Giving demographic details about the mosquito-borne disease, he said, "The majority of malaria cases in the country come from the bordering districts, forest and tribal areas, while most of the remaining parts of the country remain malaria free," he said.

Reiterating the commitment to eliminate the disease, Nadda stated that the focus on the bordering districts and empowering local authorities with information, tools and knowledge would help reduction in cases in the country and its neighbours.

At the function, the minister also launched the book 'Addressing the challenge of controlling malaria across international border lines' and unveiled the Regional Action Plan (2017-2030).

Health ministers from the countries of South Asia Region, Heads of Country Delegations, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region and Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO, Deputy Director General Designate were also present in the occasion.

Also present at the event were Asia Pacific Leaders Alliance against Malaria, representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, members of the Strategy Advisory Group for Malaria Elimination and various development partners.