National framework for malaria elimination launched in Karnataka
National framework for malaria elimination launched in Karnataka
- The Health Department launched the National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India programme in Karnataka
- The World Health Organisation is committed to eradicating malaria by 2030.
- Keeping this as the target, the Union government has taken a decision to work towards eliminating malaria in the whole country by 2025.
- All the States are formulating a framework to meet this
- Under the programme, States have been classified into various categories based on disease prevalence.
- Karnataka falls into medium transmission category because of high number of cases reported from the two districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
- The Karnataka Health Department is trying to go to category 1 (low transmission) by next year
- As many as 11,341 cases of malaria were reported in the State in 2015.
- For districts where more cases are reported, a two-pronged strategy is adopted—implementing a strong surveillance mechanism and controlling breeding of mosquitoes, through biological controls using gambusia fish in waterbodies such as ponds or chemicals for small containers.
All about The National Framework for MalariaElimination (NFME) 2016-2030
The National Framework for MalariaElimination (NFME) 2016-2030, which outlines India’s strategy for elimination of the disease by 2030.
This framework has been developed with a vision to eliminate malaria from the country and contribute to improved health and quality of life and alleviation of poverty
The NFME document clearly defines goals, objectives, strategies, targets and timelines and will serve as a roadmap for advocating and planning malaria elimination in the country in a phased manner
In line with the WHO Global Technical Strategy (GTS) for Malaria 2016-2030 and Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) Malaria Elimination Roadmap for the Asia Pacific, the goals of the National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India are to:
- Eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) throughout the entire country by 2030; and
- Maintain malaria free status in areas where malaria transmission has been interrupted and prevent re-introduction of malaria
Necessary guidance is expressed for rolling out the strategies and related interventions in each State/UT as per respective epidemiological situation.
Eliminating Malaria will result in cutting down on expenditure on diseases control programme, and will help in reducing out-of-pocket expenditure too
The objectives of the NFMEare to:
- eliminate malaria from all low (Category 1) and moderate (Category 2) endemic states/uts (26) by 2022
- Reduce incidence of malaria to less than 1 case per 1000 population in all States/uts and the districts and malaria elimination in 31 states/uts by 2024;
- Interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all States/ uts (Category 3) by 2027
- Prevent re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and to maintain malaria-free status of the country by 2030
- The milestones and targets are set for 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2030 by when the entire country has sustained zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria for 3 years and initiated the processes for certification of malaria elimination status to the country.
- The NFME 2016-2030 also defines key strategic approaches such as programme phasing considering the varying malaria endemicity in the country; classification of States/UTs based on API as
- Primary criterion (Category 0: Prevention of re- introduction phase
- Category 1: Elimination phase
- Category 2: Pre-elimination phase
- Category 3: Intensified control phase
District will be the unit of planning and implementation; and special focus will be on high endemic areas; and special strategy for P. vivax elimination.
In the short-term, i.e. by end of 2016, all states/UTs are expected to include malaria elimination in their broader health policies and planning framework; by end of 2017, all states are expected to bring down API to less than 1 per thousand population; and by end of 2020, 15 states/UTs under category 1 (elimination phase) are expected to interrupt transmission of malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria.
It is also envisaged that in states with relatively good capacity and health infrastructure, such as, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra, accelerated efforts may usher malaria elimination sooner – within two to three years.
As per the targets under the 12th Five Year Plan, the country is to achieve API<1 at state and district level by 2017 and pave way to malaria elimination in subsequent years. 
