Malaria No More (MNM) in collaboration with the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Assam recently organised a workshop to deliberate on malaria elimination strategies for the state. 

The workshop engaged with key health officers, both from the Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare and the State Health Department of Assam. The goal of the workshop was to develop a state-specific malaria elimination strategy, in collaboration with the state government, and help reduce the burden of the disease in Assam while strengthening the efforts towards malaria elimination. 

The workshop took a holistic approach in its execution and focused on a range of themes linked to malaria elimination. These included assessing the preparedness for elimination in the state, re-aligning strategies from control to elimination, the need for improved surveillance and case management, the use of innovative tools and technologies, integration of improved data collection and management tools, and the importance of community engagement and social behaviour change interventions. 

Addressing the workshop, Dr M.S. Lakshmi Priya, IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission Assam said “To achieve malaria elimination in the state of Assam, surveillance and treatment compliance need to be robust. The most important person for any health programme is the last patient suffering with the disease, identifying and treating them is critical to achieve elimination."