Goa set to achieve malaria-free recognition, awaits WHO nod

It is going to be a big milestone for the people of Goa and the healthcare system, as the state is on the verge of being declared malaria-free, marking a major public health achievement more than three decades after the disease was rampant during the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2023, there have been no indigenous malaria cases reported in Goa; all recent cases have involved migrants arriving from other states where malaria is still endemic. The last malaria death in the state was recorded in 2017.

Health officials, led by Dr Kalpana Mahatme of the Directorate of Health Services, have applied for malaria elimination certification for South Goa in the subnational category. All necessary documentation has been submitted, and inspections by the Union Health Ministry and the World Health Organization have been completed; the state is now awaiting official certification. Efforts are also underway to follow the same process for North Goa.

Goa’s progress positions it as a frontrunner in India’s national goal to eliminate malaria by 2027 and achieve WHO certification by 2030. However, maintaining this status will require continued vigilance, especially in monitoring and managing imported cases to prevent any resurgence of local transmission.

Goa malaria cases data from 2000 to 2024