BHUBANESWAR: A shining example of malaria reduction just a few years back, Odisha seems to have turned the clock backwards, topping the case tally in the country for the third consecutive year with detection of over 36,000 infections in the last six months.
According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), the state has recorded 36,388 malaria cases by the end of June this year leaving high-burden states like Jharkhand (14,781), Chhattisgarh (14,713), Maharashtra (6,817), West Bengal (3,722), Uttar Pradesh (2,851), Mizoram (4,999) and Tripura (3,452) far behind.
Six districts accounted for 86 per cent of the caseload with Kalahandi reporting the maximum 8,029 cases, followed by 7,081 in Rayagada, 4,581 in Kandhamal, 4,243 in Malkangiri, 3,996 in Koraput and 3,421 in Mayurbhanj.
Odisha had also registered the highest 68,693 malaria cases and eight deaths in 2024, and 41,973 cases and four deaths in 2023. There has been a significant rise in the vector-borne disease since 2022, when the state had recorded 23,770 cases with an annual parasite incidence (API) of 0.52 and slide positivity rate (SPR) of 0.29. The API and SPR stood at 1.48 and 0.66 last year.
Even as health officials attributed the alarming rise in cases to drop in guard and behavioural changes of people in the high incidence districts, sources said it was more for the negligence of the central government in providing long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), which have proven to be the most potent protective cover against mosquitoes. Most of the households in the high caseload districts do not have LLINs that effectively helped reduce malaria cases from 4.44 lakh and 77 deaths in 2016 to just 25,503 cases and 13 deaths in 2021.
Health workers deployed in these districts said the insecticide effect in LLINs lasts up to three years or 20 washes, and the nets distributed before 2019 were to be replaced by 2022. “Though more than three years have passed, new nets are yet to be provided in many villages. The old nets are either damaged or lost their insecticide effect which has fuelled the cases,” they added.
Health officials also admitted that 1.56 crore LLINs which were supposed to be provided by the Ministry of Health by 2022 have not arrived yet despite repeated reminders by the state health minister and secretary. “The net dispatch was initially delayed due to late finalisation of tenders by the ministry. Although last year they had assured to supply the required quantity of nets as per the indent, the consignment did not reach us. This year again, we have been assured to get 1.56 crore of LLINs, but it will take at least three to four months time,” said an official.
Director of public health Dr Nilakantha Mishra said the state government had procured 56 lakh nets last year due to delay in central supply. “The nets were distributed in 10 districts in November and December. The malaria cases have come down in some of the districts where the net use has been maximum. We have asked the field officials to make door-to-door visits and convince the people to use the nets. Three lakh more nets will be procured and distributed in hostels soon,” he said.