Faced with an ambitious target to end malaria by 2030, the Union Health Ministry is looking towards researchers to help address gaps and challenges to  tackle the vector-borne disease.

For instance, it has asked the researchers to conduct studies on the changing behaviour of mosquito vectors such as feeding and resting behaviour, to find out frequency and level of vector resistance to the insecticides that are in use for malaria vector control in high risk and residual transmission areas.

According to the Government, a total of 842,095 cases and 104 deaths were reported in 2017. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2017 Global Report has put the estimation at 13.1 million cases and 23,990 malarial deaths in India for the same year.

In fact, as per the WHO, in 2017, five countries accounted for nearly half of all malaria cases worldwide: Nigeria (25 per cent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11 per cent), Mozambique (5 per cent)and India and Uganada (4 per cent each).  India is highly endemic to malaria and shoulders the burden of two major malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.

A senior official from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that a programme has been launched with an aim to bring the various stakeholders on a single platform to identify and prioritise research work needed to meet the target to eliminate the disease by 2030.

Called Malaria Elimination Research Alliance India (MERA India), the programme took off on April 24 under which various innovative studies and tools are being sought to take the vector headon.

As the emergence and spread of drug and insecticide resistance is undermining the efficacy of existing tools, the ICMR is seeking new improved tools and approaches for disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and tackle the vector. Proposals have been sought to conduct studies  to assess and quantify outdoor/residual transmission by vectors that feed outdoors or biting early in the evening or are resistant to insecticides.

Also, the researchers have been asked to look into socio-cultural behavior of the human population residing permanently or temporarily in forest ecosystem in relation to malaria transmission and vector control interventions.

Studies on community behavior, accessibility and utilization of current vector control operations under the national programme, including study of logistic supply chain.

The ICMR is also looking towards development and testing of new insecticides and formulations to increase efficacy of sprays/LLIN/larviciding assessment of feasibility and cost effectiveness of new vector control strategies/products that are at the development stage.

Also, field testing of novel tools such as toxic sugar-baited traps, endectocides, and targeted larviciding has been proposed for interrupting residual (outdoor) transmission or reducing the receptivity.

According to the Ministry, nearly 70 per cent malaria cases in India are contributed by five of 36 States and Union Territories. These include Odisha (36 per cent), Chhattisgarh (12 per cent), Jharkhand (9 percent), Madhya Pradesh (9 per cent) and Maharashtra (5 per cent).