Continuing challenge of malaria in India

Malaria is an ancient disease in India. Known as the ‘king of diseases’, malaria was estimated to cause 75 million cases and 0.8 million deaths annually. In epidemic years, morbidity and mortality used to increase 2–3 times. Ravages of malaria were so rampant and devastating, that the economic growth of the country remained paralysed. Economic loss to the nation due to malaria was estimated at Rs 75,000 million annually, at 1940 rupee value. Malaria was the single biggest disease with which Indians had to suffer perennially. Etiology of malaria remained obscure, and so was its scientific treatment. Briefly, the major discoveries that led to the scientific approach to malaria control started with the discovery of its causative agent in 1880 by Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran. While working in a military hospital in Constantine, Laveran discovered that the cause of malaria is a protozoan parasite and for the discovery he received the Nobel Prize in 1907. In 1897, Ronald Ross demonstrated malaria transmission by mosquitoes in Hyderabad and a year later, in 1898, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He received the Nobel Prize in 1902. The Indian Society for Parasitology celebrated 100 years of this epoch-making discovery on 20 August 1987 in Hyderabad, and paid homage to this great genius of his times. Following this discovery, malaria control was attempted by Ross in Mian Mar town (now in Pakistan), but the results were disappointing. The discovery of residual insecticidal action of DDT by Paul Muller for the control of vectors of malaria and yellow fever raised hopes of malaria control worldwide. For this discovery Muller received the Nobel Prize in 1939. Initial impact of DDT spraying produced spectacular results by killing malaria-carrying mosquitoes for several months. Thus rural malaria control had become a reality.