RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Forest malaria: the prevailing obstacle for malaria control and elimination in India
JF BMJ Global Health
JO BMJ Global Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e005391
DO 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005391
VO 6
IS 5
A1 Raju Ranjha
A1 Amit Sharma
YR 2021
UL http://gh.bmj.com/content/6/5/e005391.abstract
AB Despite the decrease in malaria mortality and morbidity, it remains a significant public health problem in India. India is targeting malaria elimination from the country by 2030. Different areas in India are in different phases of malaria elimination. The emerging resistance in vectors as well parasite have added necessity to accelerate the malaria elimination programme. Forested areas remain the foci for malaria transmission due to favourable human and environmental factors. Here, we analysed the longitudinal data from 2000 to 2019 to see the trends in forest malaria in India. Population living in forested areas are major malaria contributors. From 2000 to 2019, ~32% of malaria cases and 42% of malaria related deaths were reported from forested districts which represent only ~6.6% of the total Indian population. Increasing insecticide resistance, a high percentage of submicroscopic infections and challenging to test and treat communities are the crucial components of the prevailing obstacles of forested malaria. To achieve the elimination goal, efforts should be intensified with more resources diverted to the forested areas. Malaria control in forested areas will bring fruitful results for malaria control in India.All the data used in the manuscript is available with authors.