Malaria is a communicable disease which is spread by biting of female anopheles mosquitoes but the causative agent for common malaria are plasmodium vivax, plasmodium falciparum etc.
This is such a deadly disease which causes fever with high body temperature, headache, and vomiting, sweating and even death. There are a number of people dying from malaria all over world as well as in India. The problem of malaria is more prominent in tropical countries like countries of Asia, Africa etc.
The organized public health programme to control malaria was launched in India in the year 1953, the encouraging results of which promoted government of India to switch the strategy from control eradication in 1958. The National Malaria Eradication Programme made spectacular progress till 1965. But this success was short lived.
In 1976, the number of confirmed malaria cases reached more than 6 million which necessitated renewed vigorous anti-malaria activities and the programme was modified after all these programmes, number of malaria cases have increased in urban areas. The causative agent for common malaria plasmodium vivax was eradicated satisfactorily under MPO the blanket approach of insecticidal spraying was changed to selective indoor residual spray by stratifying area based cases per 1000 populations in a year.
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Since September 1997, another programme called enhanced malaria control project is going on with World Bank Assistance. A grant agreement has been also signed with Global Funds for AIPS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on 27
June 2005, for the implementation of Intensified Malaria control project in North Eastern States except Sikkim, selected high risk areas of Orissa, Jharkhand, and West Bengal with the objectives to increase access to rapid diagnosis and treatment in remote areas through community participation, NGO and private participation.
The Intensified Malaria control project have also emphasized on reduction of malaria transmission risk by the use of insecticides treated bed, nets and enhance awareness about malaria control.
For controlling malaria in urban areas, The Urban Malaria Scheme came into effect in 1976. The main objective of the scheme is to control malaria by reducing the vector population in the urban areas. Through recurrent anti- travel measures.