Moving population is a challenge for malaria elimination in India: A cross-sectional study to assess malaria parasite infections in walking pilgrims in western Rajasthan, India.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

India is vigorously pursuing malaria elimination by 2030 and one of the key challenges is how to prevent the malaria risk associated with long-distance migrations of populations from endemic to non-endemic areas. Millions of pilgrims walking to the holy Ramdevra temple stay in temporary shelters along the route in district of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan state in western India. The main pilgrimage period coincides with the post-monsoon period with elevated vector densities. We investigated this situation to assess the potential risk posed by migrant pilgrims along the four highways in the temple district in disseminating malaria infections associated with their annual movements.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted for screening malaria in walking pilgrims from n

SUBMITTER: Lata S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11381882 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature