The recent World Health Organisation report is worrying (“India unlikely to cut malaria burden by half in 2020”, Nov. 30). Malaria is a major public health problem in India, but it is preventable and curable. The challenges in eradicating malaria include poor surveillance, low funding, rapid urbanisation, increased migration, and development of drug resistance. India can learn lessons from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which eliminated the disease in 2016. Sri Lanka adopted a multidimensional approach. It allowed spraying in 99% of households, distributed insecticide-treated mosquito nets, and created awareness.
P. Alarmelmangai,
Chennai
