Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
India has made major progress against malaria. More than 160 districts have been certified malaria-free, while confirmed cases have fallen from more than 29 lakh in 1995 to about 2.34 lakh in 2025.
But the disease is proving harder to eliminate in the pockets where it continues to circulate.
In 2025, just 33 high-burden districts across nine states and Union Territories accounted for 64 percent of India's malaria cases and 54 percent of malaria deaths.
So why is the last mile of malaria elimination so difficult? What makes the remaining infections harder to detect and treat? And how could P. vivax, drug resistance and climate change complicate India's goal of eliminating malaria?
In this video, ThePrint's Sneha Richhariya explains how India brought down its malaria burden, why transmission has increased in some high-burden pockets, and why finding every remaining infection is becoming increasingly important.
The video also looks at the limitations of rapid diagnostic tests, the problem of asymptomatic infections and the challenge posed by P. vivax, which can remain dormant (temporarily inactive) in the liver and cause relapses.
It also examines India's indigenous malaria vaccine candidate AdFalciVax, how will it work, why it will not work for P. vivax, and how climate change and drug resistance could make malaria elimination harder in the years ahead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connect with ThePrint
» Subscribe to ThePrint: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
» Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3nCMpht
» Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/theprintindia
» Tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/theprintindia
» Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/theprintindia
» Find us on LinkedIn : linkedin.com/company/theprint
» Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia
» Find us on Spotify: spoti.fi/2NMVlnB
» Find us on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3pEOta8
India has made major progress against malaria. More than 160 districts have been certified malaria-free, while confirmed cases have fallen from more than 29 lakh in 1995 to about 2.34 lakh in 2025.
But the disease is proving harder to eliminate in the pockets where it continues to circulate.
In 2025, just 33 high-burden districts across nine states and Union Territories accounted for 64 percent of India's malaria cases and 54 percent of malaria deaths.
So why is the last mile of malaria elimination so difficult? What makes the remaining infections harder to detect and treat? And how could P. vivax, drug resistance and climate change complicate India's goal of eliminating malaria?
In this video, ThePrint's Sneha Richhariya explains how India brought down its malaria burden, why transmission has increased in some high-burden pockets, and why finding every remaining infection is becoming increasingly important.
The video also looks at the limitations of rapid diagnostic tests, the problem of asymptomatic infections and the challenge posed by P. vivax, which can remain dormant (temporarily inactive) in the liver and cause relapses.
It also examines India's indigenous malaria vaccine candidate AdFalciVax, how will it work, why it will not work for P. vivax, and how climate change and drug resistance could make malaria elimination harder in the years ahead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connect with ThePrint
» Subscribe to ThePrint: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
» Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3nCMpht
» Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/theprintindia
» Tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/theprintindia
» Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/theprintindia
» Find us on LinkedIn : linkedin.com/company/theprint
» Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia
» Find us on Spotify: spoti.fi/2NMVlnB
» Find us on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3pEOta8
