Tribal Malaria in India: An Analysis of Malaria Incidence and Mortality over 20-Year Period (2000-2020).

Tribal malaria is well known for its substantial share in the overall malarial load of the country. This paper examines the levels and trends of malaria incidence and mortality in the tribal population for the past two decades. Data on malaria incidence and mortality were collected from an online e-repository that provides statistical data and information on 19 sectors, including health. The analysis showed that the malaria incidence and mortality in tribal-dominated regions declined at an average annual rate of 4.3% per annum between 2000 and 2020, which accompanies the tremendous progress made in malaria control at the country level during this time period. The results also showed that between 2016 and 2020, the decline in tribal-dominated regions was consistent and noteworthy in terms of magnitude, a period that marks the implementation of the national framework for malaria elimination in the country. The decisive fall in the incidence and mortality of malaria in the tribal-dominated region has put India on track to achieve the target of 3.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, with the pandemic impacting service delivery, monitoring, and reporting, including malaria control programs, it is important to maintain the momentum of progress in malaria control.