Question : Malaria Endemic Districts

(a) the districts of the country worst affected by maternal and under 5 children malnutrition along with the list of malaria – endemic districts in the country;
(b) whether the Government is aware of any correlation between malaria and malnutrition and proposes to undertake any studies to explore this correlation, if so, details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to leverage the Poshan Abhiyan to combat the malaria-malnutrition correlation, if so, the details thereof;
(d) the incidence of malaria reported in private and public hospitals every year from 2016 till date;
(e) whether the Government has made it mandatory for private sector health practitioners to report cases of malaria, if so, the detailed procedure thereof; and
(f) if not, whether the Government proposes to make private sector reporting of malaria compulsory?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a): The detailed list of districts having highest prevalence of malnutrition among children under 5 years in the country as per NFHS 5 survey (2019-21) is at Annexure 1. Data regarding maternal malnutrition is not maintained centrally. List of worst affected malaria endemic districts (Annual Parasite Incidence >1) in the country in 2021 is attached at Annexures 2.

(b) & (c): Malaria is a vector borne disease and several factors like socio-economic status, malnutrition, infrastructure, housing and urbanization affect the transmission of Malaria. The Government has no plans to conduct such study or leveraging Poshan Abhiyan on correlation between malaria and malnutrition.

(d) : At the national level, the composite data on malaria as reported by the states is maintained, which includes data from private and public health facilities. The Malaria cases reported from various states from 2016 onward are attached at Annexure 3.

(e) & (f): Most of States/UTs have made Malaria a notifiable disease through Gazette Notification issued by the state Governments, which mandates reporting of malaria from private sector also. All states have been requested to make private sector reporting of malaria cases compulsory.