Malaria menace in India

19 February 2000

Prior to the launch of the National Malaria Control Program in1953, malaria was a major problem in India. The disease contributed 75 million cases with 0.8 million deaths every year.

After a significant decline in the 1960s, malaria emerged as a major health problem of India in the 1970s. Presently, malaria is a major challenge with 2 to 2.5 million incidences every year.

According to statistical data published by National Malaria Eradication Program, or NMEP, in the year 1997, the incidence of Plasmodium vivax malaria in India is 60-70 per cent, while that of falciparum malaria is 30-45 per cent. Around 50 per cent of complicated malaria may lead to mortality if timely treatment is not given, the report says.

As per NMEP survey report (1995), the "National Average" of falciparum malaria has increased to 35.5 per cent from a meager 9.34 per cent in 1972.

Drug resistant malaria
Drug resistant malaria means malaria caused by a plasmodium resistant to usual anti-malarial drugs. Although chloroquine resistant strains of P vivax have been described, drug resistance poses a serious clinical problem only with P falciparum, which accounts for over 70 per cent of cases and much of the mortality of human malaria.

Drug resistance in India
The incidence of drug-resistant malaria is difficult to determine because in many cases it may not be recorded.