Agartala, April 24, 2023: Tripura reached a better position in combating malaria in rural and remote parts of the state with the support of central government and global fund, Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha said while addressing the Asia-Pacific Leaders Conclave on Malaria Eradication held at New Delhi on Monday.

He said “For many years, various parts of Tripura, especially the hilly and remote areas, were plagued by malaria. Currently 3 out of every 1000 people in Tripura are diagnosed with malaria and there is a 100 percent success rate in curing the disease.”

“In 2014, 51,240 people were infected with malaria in Tripura and 96 people lost their lives. In 2016, 32,525 people were infected and 14 people lost their lives. Since then, malaria screening has been ramped up in the state. In 2022, 22.15 percent of the population was screened, which is almost double that of 2016. As a result, the number of people suffering from malaria has decreased significantly”, he added.

Citing distribution of medicinal mosquito nets, Chief Minister said that 10.06 lakh mosquito nets with long-lasting medicinal have been distributed in 2015-16 financial year, 1.80 lakh in 2018-19 financial year and 9.25 lakh in 2019-20 financial year to combat malaria. 1.80 lakh mosquito nets are stocked for distribution in FY 2023-24 as well.

The Chief Minister said that in Tripura, malaria control sprays, germ-killing fish etc. are being used to control malaria and various awareness measures are being taken in this regard.

He said that services are now being delivered to remote areas due to the state’s vast health infrastructure and health workers. Similarly, the situation has improved a lot due to the implementation of the Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.

Dr Saha expressed hope that Tripura will be able to eliminate malaria by 2030 as per the national target through strong efforts. Health ministers of various states, representatives of the World Health Organization and representatives of various Asian countries were present in this conference.