Learnings from two independent malaria elimination demonstration projects in India.

Problem: India and sub-Saharan Africa contributes about 85% of the global malaria burden, and India is committed to eliminating malaria by 2030.

Approach: Two novel initiatives-the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) in Madhya Pradesh and Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN) in Odisha-were initiated independently to demonstrate that indigenous malaria can be eliminated in a short period of time.

Local Setting: These initiatives focused on rural, tribal areas where there is a high malaria burden and complex epidemiology.

Community perceptions on malaria and care-seeking practices in endemic Indian settings: policy implications for the malaria control programme.

Background: The focus of India's National Malaria Programme witnessed a paradigm shift recently from health facility to community-based approaches. The current thrust is on diagnosing and treating malaria by community health workers and prevention through free provision of long-lasting insecticidal nets. However, appropriate community awareness and practice are inevitable for the effectiveness of such efforts.