India has recorded an important public-health achievement: malaria cases and deaths fell by more than 80% between 2015 and 2023. A second marker of this progress is that 160 districts across 23 States and Union Territories maintained zero indigenous malaria cases for three consecutive years during 2022-2024. For exam preparation, this is not just a health-sector update. It is also a useful example of disease control, community-level surveillance and measurable outcomes of a government programme.

The National Malaria Elimination Programme and the National Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016-2030 form the policy context. The framework lays out phases for elimination from low-endemic States, movement towards malaria-free States, interruption of transmission nationwide, and prevention of re-establishment during 2026-2030. It also aligns with the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030, which targets a 90% reduction in cases and mortality.

Several familiar public-health tools contributed to the decline: large-scale use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying in high-burden areas, rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapy and community surveillance through ASHA workers. The challenge, however, has not disappeared. The remaining malaria burden is described as concentrated in tribal and forested regions, especially Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, West Bengal and some Northeastern States. In high-burden regions, Plasmodium falciparum is also relevant because it is described as the more dangerous species.

For static-GK linkage, connect this topic with vector-borne diseases, disease elimination versus control, health surveillance, targeted public-health delivery and access to healthcare among vulnerable communities. In prelims, numbers, years and the count of zero-case districts are likely recall points.