CHENNAI: In 1898, scientists who came to India became the first to discover that Malaria is transmitted through mosquitoes and went on to even win the Nobel prize for their feat. But, after more than a century, India continues to have the biggest population to be affected by this.
Only two States in the country have been able to successfully halve the number of malaria cases, one being Punjab and the other Tamil Nadu.
Speaking at a conference on Malaria elimination in the world, Sir Richard Feachem, director of Global Health Group at the University of California, San Francisco and convener of Malaria Elimination Group, an independent advisory, said both Tamil Nadu and Punjab were working towards complete eradication by 2020.
“The numbers have halved since 2000 and this can be attributed to two reasons, one is the attack on the parasite, improved healthcare system making diagnosis quicker and more effective treatment while the other is the attack on mosquitoes itself,” he explained. However, Feachem also added that because of several unreported cases, the new numbers and statistics could not fully be relied upon.