The World Health Organization (WHO) last week gave approval for the widespread use of RTS,S/AS01, the first malaria vaccine, in children under the age of five. This green signal is said to be a game-changer in the fight against the disease that affects many regions around the world including India. 

However, according to WHO’s World Malaria Report 2020, India reported the largest drop in cases—70 percent—from 20 million cases in 2000 to 6 million in 2019.  In 2020, as many as 116 districts reported zero malaria cases in the country, former Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said earlier this year. India aims to reach the WHO`s ‘Zero Malaria Target’ by 2030.

While India has shown a reducing trend in the number of malaria cases over the last few years, the condition in African countries is still worrisome. As per the WHO report, approximately 409,000 people died from malaria in 2019 around the world, while the continent of Africa accounted for 94 per cent of all cases and deaths.