Malaria Elimination in Rajasthan | 02 May 2025

Why in News? 

On the occasion of World Malaria Day 2025 , Rajasthan has been included in Category-1 for malaria elimination at the national level.

Key Points 

  • Drastic Drop in Malaria cases : 
    • Rajasthan has emerged as one of the leading states in malaria elimination, due to its effective strategies and innovative measures to combat seasonal diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. 
    • According to the State Public Health Director, while 2213 malaria cases were reported in 2024, only 59 cases have been reported so far in 2025 . 
  • Success of Public Awareness Campaign : 
    • Under IEC activities (Information, Education, Communication), the general public was made aware through means like larva demonstration, audio-video publicity , pamphlets and posters, which strengthened the prevention of the disease. 
    • Anti-larval spraying, focal spraying, fogging and source reduction activities were carried out across the state from 1 April 2025. The program was effective in both urban and rural areas. 
  • Special Attention in High Risk Districts : 
    • Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) was carried out in two phases in 9 high-risk districts namely Alwar, Balotra, Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Pratapgarh, Salumber, Sriganganagar and Udaipur to control the sources of infection.  

Malaria 

  • Malaria is a deadly disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite , which is spread by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. 
    • There are five species of Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria in humans, and two of these parasite species (P. Falciparum and P Vivax) are more dangerous. 
  • Malaria is mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, South America and Asia . 
  • When a mosquito bites an infected person, it also becomes infected. The person who is bitten by this mosquito gets malaria parasites in his body. After reaching the liver, the parasites develop and infect the red blood cells . 
  • Fever and flu-like symptoms, such as chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue, are symptoms of malaria. It is worth noting that malaria is treatable and can be prevented. 

World Malaria Day 

  • It is celebrated every year on April 25. It was established in 2007 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about malaria and take action to eradicate it. 
  • The theme of World Malaria Day 2025 is “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite”.