India should contribute to broader efforts against malaria: Experts

India should contribute to broader efforts against malaria as it is a leading producer and exporter of anti-malarial medicines, health experts have said. India, which has one of the largest burdens of malaria in the world, should also initiate national corporate engagement initiatives against the disease as a strong member of the G20 and the BRICS emerging market countries, they said according to a release.

'With 95 percent of India's population living in malaria-endemic areas and an estimated one million cases reported by the government each year, malaria continues to take a significant economic toll on the country,' said Herve Verhoosel, Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Representative at the United Nations in New York. 'We have a tremendous opportunity to leverage the power of a booming economy in India to unlock resources and scale-up malaria-control interventions that will save lives and foster greater development for all. (Read: How is malaria treated?)

'I call on the private sector to join the government and civil society to help scale-up efforts and overcome biological challenges that threaten progress,' he added. With 22 malaria-endemic countries in the Asia-Pacific, the region is home to over two billion people at risk of infection and accounts for approximately 32 million cases of malaria infection and 47,000 associated deaths each year. According to the health ministry, malaria deaths in India have been reduced by nearly half in the past decade, largely due to increased control efforts, a shift in drug policy and greater community participation and industry engagement. (Read: Now a new method to help treat malaria)

How keep malaria out of your home?

'Stepping out of the home with an empty stomach is the first thing that people should avoid. An empty stomach welcomes all kinds of illnesses, especially malaria, as the body does not have the strength to fight back,' owner of Harshitaacharya Aarogya Centre, Dr Harshit Acharya, asserted. He continued, 'Preparations such as sudarshan churna, tribhovan kirti, kadu juice are the key things to consume to avoid malaria. All these are available in the market and can also be prepared at home. Kadu is available in the form of powder or branches.' In order to avoid mosquitoes, either smoke of neem leaves or gugul plant should be circulated in the house, he added. (Read: Neem and tulsi, effective remedies to keep malaria out of your home)

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With inputs from IANS

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