With a Huge Drop in Malaria Cases, the Disease Is on Its Way Out

India is well on its way to eliminating malaria by 2030 since both the number of cases and deaths have drastically fallen since 2015, investing in fighting the disease and the stigma around it.

“This ambitious goal cannot be achieved solely by the government and requires active participation and support from all sections of the society,” says Pratik Kumar, country director of the non-profit organization Malaria No More. “All hands must join in the effort to eliminate malaria so that India can achieve the goal of eliminating the disease from the country by 2030.”

Considered a poor’s man disease in India, curing malaria was a low priority on the public health agenda, but authorities have doubled the budget allocated to fighting it between 2017 and 2019, and the disease has been made a “notifiable disease” in 31 states and Union territories. Consequently, there are 86% fewer malaria cases across the country since 2015, and 79% fewer deaths related to the fatal disease between 2015 and 2021, among other things due to the distribution of long-lasting nets.