“India has reduced its new malaria cases by one third, and even crossed the malaria mortality targets of 2020,” said Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda at a high-level round table on ‘Accelerating the Elimination of Malaria in the Southeast Asia Region’.
He further added that with nearly three-fourth of the share of the regional burden, India’s successes have significantly contributed to the reduction of the burden of malaria for the entire Southeast Asia region.
Health Ministers from the countries of the South Asia region, heads of country delegations, Regional Director WHO Southeast Asia Region Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, and WHO Deputy Director General Designate Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, were also present on the occasion.
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The Union Minister noted that a majority of malaria cases in the country occur in its bordering districts, forests and tribal areas.