Kathmandu, April 25 World Malaria Day was marked here today with the theme ‘Ready to Beat Malaria’. As per the world malaria report released in November 2017, there were 216 million cases of malaria in 2016 whereas in 2015, 211 million cases were reported. As per the reports of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Teku, a total of 1,128 cases of malaria were detected in the country from June 2016 to July 2017. From among the total cases detected, Province 7 recorded the highest 506 malaria cases. Malaria cases are also being reported in hilly regions of the country in recent years. Hill districts Mugu and Bajura have reported 81 and 46 cases of malaria respectively from July 2017 to April 25, 2018, as per the data. People living in Mugu and Bajura have to migrate to the Tarai region to earn their living where they suffer from malaria due to poor living conditions. This is how the people carry the disease to the hilly regions,” said Rajendra Mishra, Vector Control Inspector, EDCD. From among the 1,128 malaria cases, 636 cases are imported ones. “The cases of imported malaria have posed a serious challenge for the government to eliminate Malaria from the country. Open border with India has also increase the case of imported malaria. The infected mosquitoes are also migrating to the hilly areas because of the rising temperature in the Tarai belt,” said Dr Anup Bastola, Consultant Tropical Medicine Physician at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital. The government has set the target of reaching zero indigenous cases of malaria by 2025. To meet the government’s target, EDCD has been deploying rapid response teams for surveillance, detection and prevention of the disease in malaria-hit districts.