Tamil Nadu is almost malaria-free—here's how they did it
Tamil Nadu is making big progress against malaria: 33 out of 38 districts haven't seen a single local case in the past three years.
The state slashed cases from over 5,500 in 2015 to just 321 in 2025, thanks to strong health surveillance and control efforts.
What's still left to tackle?
Chennai stands out as the hotspot, with about 40% of recent cases, though numbers there are dropping too.
Most new cases across the state actually come from people arriving from outside Tamil Nadu—not local transmission.
Health teams are keeping up regular blood tests and focusing on high-risk spots like construction sites.
An upcoming conference this January will review and validate the zero-case status of these districts and make recommendations for granting malaria elimination certificates, as India pushes toward its goal of ending malaria by 2030.