Tamil Nadu close to eradicating malaria as 33 districts report nil indigenous cases

Tamil Nadu is inching closer towards malaria eradication, with 33 of its 38 districts reporting zero indigenous cases in the past three years.

Chennai is among the five districts that are yet to achieve zero transmission, accounting for nearly 37%-45% of the State’s malaria cases, even as the number has fallen from 173 in 2023 to 121 in 2025.

According to data from the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine, the number of cases in the State has come down significantly from 5,587 to 321 in the decade since 2015.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) setting a target to eliminate malaria from India by 2030, all necessary measures are being implemented in Tamil Nadu to stamp out the disease.

In the past three years, there have been no malaria outbreaks, with the Annual Parasite Incidence reduced to below 1%, according to the DPH.

“We are close to eliminating malaria. The number of cases has been coming down. There have been no cases in 33 districts. We are continuing with surveillance measures,” according to A. Somasundaram, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. “Our malaria field workers collect 100 blood samples for blood smear testing every month, and we also have passive surveillance by monitoring fever cases reported at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Government Hospitals (GHs). We have a wide network for surveillance, and any forecasting sign or clustering of cases is documented and monitored,” he added.

Thirty-three districts have achieved ‘Category 0’, indicating a malaria-free status, while Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Salem, and the Greater Chennai Corporation are the places that have been recording cases in the past three years. Preventive measures are being implemented in these five districts, the DPH said.

There are, however, certain areas of concern. Epidemiological classification of the last three-year data indicates that the majority of the reported cases have been imported rather than indigenous. Notably, 330 out of 384 cases in 2023, 208 out of 347 cases in 2024, and 203 out of 321 cases in 2025 were imported.

Officials say there are concerns owing to migration and cross-border movement from the endemic areas. “Individuals who have not received full treatment may continue to be carriers. This is one of our concerns. We have surveillance measures in place, including in construction zones,” Dr. Somasundaram added.

Along with regular malaria surveillance activities at GHs and PHCs and field-level preventive measures, migrant labourers affected by malaria and arriving from neighbouring States are closely monitored.

A national conference with the objective of eliminating malaria is scheduled for January 19, 20, and 21. The Central Monitoring Team of the NCVBDC will review the preventive measures taken by the State. At this meeting, the zero-case status achieved by 33 districts will be validated, and recommendations will be made for grant of district-level malaria elimination certificates, according to the DPH.