Malaria
Science & Technology
Why in News ?
- India exits from the WHO’s High Burden to High Impact group in 2024, signifying a turning point in its fight against Malaria
About Malaria
- Cause: A life-threatening blood disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, spread through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
- Major Parasites: Of the 5 Plasmodium species causing malaria in humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax pose the greatest threat.
- Regions Affected: Predominantly found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America, and Asia.
- Transmission: Mosquitoes become infected by biting an infected person and transmit the parasite when biting another person. Parasites travel to the liver, mature, and infect red blood cells.
- Symptoms: Fever, shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and flu-like illness.
- Status: Malaria is both preventable and curable.
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June is observed as Anti-Malaria Month under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). Efforts focus on improved case reporting, effective management, enhanced epidemiological and entomological investigations, and intensified vector control measures. National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP)
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