INDIA DASHBOARD

INDIA DASHBOARD 2020

India plans to achieve the 2030 2015

goal of malaria elimination
APLMA Leaders Roadmap
in a phased manner endorsed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
At the 9th East Asia Summit (EAS) in 2014, the Honourable
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and 17 other Leaders
2016
committed to the goal of an Asia Pacific free of malaria by
2030 and subsequently endorsed the Asia Pacific Malaria National Framework for
Elimination Roadmap at the 10th East Asia Summit in 2015. Malaria Elimination 2016-30
(NFME) launched
In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO)
Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030, the
2017
National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme
(NVBDCP) launched the National Framework for Malaria National Strategic Plan (NSP)
Elimination (NFME) 2016-30 and the National Strategic 2017-22 launched
Plan for Malaria Elimination in India 2017-2022. These
documents lay out the pathway to elimination. India has 2019
been an active participant in the Asia Pacific Malaria
High Burden to High Impact
Elimination Network (APMEN) since joining it in 2015. (HBHI) started in 4 states
APMEN, in collaboration with malaria programs, research, of India
academic and implementing organizations, provides
technical and operational support to countries to further 2022
the malaria elimination agenda.
26 States/Union Territories
targeted for malaria
elimination

2024
Reduce malaria incidence to
less than 1 case/1000 across
the country

2027
Indigenous transmission of
malaria interrupted acros
the country

2030
Malaria-free certification
from WHO

2
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The APLMA Leaders Dashboard tracks progress and achievements in malaria control and
elimination for each of the 22 countries in Asia Pacific across the six milestones of the Roadmap.
Figure 1 below shows a snapshot of the 2020 Dashboard for India.

Improve Mobilize
Ensure high targeting domestic
Unite national Map, prevent, test quality malaria and financing Innovate
Status Progress Towards Elimination efforts and and treat the disease tests, medicines, effciency and for
regional action everywhere nets and to get leverage elimination
insecticides the most external
impact support

Formal mechanism
Legislation in place to ensure
Functional Costed Targeting
in place quality of health interventions Elimination Innovative
Country Indigenous Indigenous Adminis- elimination malaria Case to make commodities tools/
task force elimination based on financing
Country program malaria malaria trative reporting malaria for the prevention, up to date sustainability approaches
status deaths cases units free of (or plan from all a notifiable diagnosis supported
in place malaria plan
2019 2019 malaria (%) equivalent) providers disease and treatment of or
in place and risk developed
within malaria implemented
adopted stratification
24-48 hrs and other priority
diseases

Moving to
India Elimination
▼ 77 ▼ 338,494 0 No date set 1 No date set 1

Figure 1: APLMA APMEN Leaders Dashboard 2020

ON TRACK TO ELIMINATION
India has made impressive gains in the fight against malaria and has seen a sharp decline of 60% in
number of confirmed malaria cases in 2019 compared to 2017 (See Figure 2). The WHO has identified
India as one of the few countries which has shown a consistent decline in the malaria burden at
a time when global progress against malaria has been plateauing.

Malaria cases and deaths

1,800,000 1200
1,600,000
1000
1,400,000
1,200,000 800
1,000,000
600
800,000
600,000 400
400,000
200
200,000
0 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Cases Deaths

Figure 2: Malaria cases and deaths in India (Source: WHO World Malaria Report)

Strong political commitment and increase in domestic funding, coupled with scaling up of testing,
treatment and vector control efforts, improved surveillance, training health workers to test all fever
cases, have been key in achieving this impressive decline.

3
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

WHOLE OF SOCIETY EFFORT

National Malaria Elimination Taskforce

The National Malaria Elimination Taskforce, headed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
(MoHFW), was formed with representatives from different government departments, private sector
and civil societies (See Figure 3). It is mandated to meet at least twice a year to review progress,
assess gaps in implementation, provide guidance for policy planning and implementation, identify
areas of coordination and collaboration between different ministries and other stakeholders, mobilise
funds and other resources.

Various ministries are engaged as part of the In addition to a National Task Force, states, and
Task Force. The Task Force also includes in some cases malaria endemic districts, have
representatives from the WHO, the Global Fund, established task forces to oversee sub-national
the World Bank, the Indian Council of Medical progress. As India progresses steadily towards
Research (ICMR), NGOs and the military. With malaria elimination, the National and State Task
the presence of the Indian Medical Association Forces will continue to play a greater role in
and representatives from the corporate sector on development and implementation of the
the Task Force, efforts are underway to include elimination strategy.
the private sector in the fight against malaria.

Ministry of
Tribal Affairs

Other Ministry of
international Agriculture
and national and Farmers
partners Welfare

Ministry of
Health & Family
Welfare

Ministry of
Ministry of
External
Railways
Affairs

Ministry of
Finance
Figure 3: Members of
the National Malaria
Elimination Taskforce in India

Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA)

ICMR launched the Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA) India in 2019 to ‘identify, articulate,
prioritise and respond to the research needs of the country in a coordinated and combinatorial way
to eliminate malaria from India by 2030.’ The aim of the alliance is to bring together researchers from
ICMR, non-ICMR and other institutions and universities working on malaria research. A coordinated
research approach will aid the national malaria program in developing malaria interventions and
strategies.

4
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

PROMPT AND TRAGETED SURVEILLANCE

The number of states declaring malaria as a notifiable disease has increased from 6 in 2017 to 15
states in 2018 and 27 states in 2019. Making malaria notifiable at sub-national level is key to the
phased approach of elimination that India has adopted and is an important step in developing strong
surveillance systems for appropriate response.

INCREASED DOMESTIC FINANCING

In 2019, the Government of India increased funding by more than 25% for the NVBDCP and increased
support as a donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by committing USD
22million towards Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment. India’s support to the Global Fund
demonstrates political will, leadership and commitment towards achieving Universal Health
Coverage. As one of the leading emerging economies of the region, India’s international and domestic
financing efforts can serve as a push for other nations in the region to increase their commitment
towards financing health outcomes.

PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE

Tribal communities in India predominantly live in launched the e-portal on tribal health named
remote, hilly, forested areas and have limited ‘Swasthya’. The portal hosts a Dashboard which
access to healthcare services. While tribal provides district level data on demographics,
communities constitute only 8% of the disease status (including malaria), a list of public
population, they account for 30% of India’s health facilities, human resources and health and
malaria cases and 50% of malaria deaths. India’s nutrition profiles. It also provides information on
malaria response has shown a renewed focus on innovative practices, case studies and best
tribal communities. The Tribal Malaria Action practices from different parts of India to facilitate
Plan (TMAP), in the National Strategic Plan for exchange of information, evidence and expertise.
Malaria Elimination focuses on reducing the Protecting the tribal communities is a good step
malaria burden in tribal districts in India. It towards Universal Health Coverage of malaria
prioritises the 152 districts in India having more services and ensuring access to health services
than 25% tribal population. In 2020, the Union and commodities for the most vulnerable
Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda, communities.

HIGH BURDEN HIGH IMPACT (HBHI) APPROACH

India has adopted the High Burden High Impact approach in 2019 with support from WHO in the four
high burden states of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. So far, two
training workshops were held to orient the staff on the HBHI approach. Malaria situation analysis,
along with operational plans were presented at the workshops which were then finalised with
support from NVBDCP and WHO.

India’s recent progress against malaria is exemplary. Read more about progress against malaria in
Indonesia and in the Asia Pacific Region here.