India has made significant progress in combating malaria with the number of estimated cases of infection dropping to 2 million in 2023, a 69% reduction from 6.4 million cases in 2017, according to the latest World Malaria Report by the World Health Organization (WHO), released Wednesday.
Similarly, malaria deaths decreased by 68%, from 11,100 in 2017 to 3,500 in 2023, as per the report. As a result, India officially exited the WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group in 2024, a key milestone in the country’s efforts to reduce malaria, said the WHO.
The HBHI initiative, aimed at accelerating malaria elimination in countries with high malaria burdens, was launched in India in 2019, targeting four states: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Despite these advances, India still accounted for half of all estimated malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2023. The region as a whole reported 4 million cases and 1.5% of global malaria deaths. P. vivax was responsible for over 48% of cases in the region.
Over the course of the past two decades, malaria cases in South-East Asia have dropped by 82.4%, from 22.8 million in 2000, and incidence fell by 87%, from 17.7 to 2.3 cases per 1,000 population at risk. A significant portion of this decrease was due to India, which saw a reduction of 17.7 million cases and a 93% decrease in incidence.
India and Indonesia together accounted for about 88% of the malaria deaths in the region in 2023, though other countries like Bhutan and Timor-Leste reported zero malaria deaths since 2013 and 2015, respectively. Sri Lanka was certified malaria-free in 2016.
The WHO also emphasised the continued need for accelerated efforts in malaria elimination, particularly in countries where malaria persists. Globally, the WHO reported that 2.2 billion cases and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but malaria remains a significant health challenge, particularly in the WHO African Region. In 2023, there were 263 million estimated malaria cases and 597,000 deaths worldwide.
Saima Wazed, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia cautioned against any complacency, “We must not forget that the risk of malaria not only persists but could increase due to factors such as climate change. We must continue to do all we can to accelerate our progress against malaria.” At the same time, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General added, “An expanded package of lifesaving tools now offers better protection against the disease, but stepped up investments and action in high burden countries are needed to curb the threat."
