Lucknow: Sitapur emerged as UP’s worst malaria-hit district in 2025, reporting 3,643 cases, nearly 25% of the state’s 14,593 infections, and the only malaria-related death, according to the latest National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC) data.Hardoi recorded 1,481 cases, followed by Shahjahanpur (1,179) and Pilibhit (707). Lucknow ranked fifth with 676 cases, including 573 indigenous and 103 imported infections. Imported cases accounted for over 15% of the city’s malaria burden.Joint director of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) UP Dr Vikasendu Agarwal attributed the high caseload in some districts to mosquito breeding in rural areas, waterlogging and delayed detection. He said two blocks in Sitapur were severely affected in 2025, but intensified surveillance and vector-control measures have helped contain the outbreak this year.Sitapur chief medical officer Dr Sukh Ranjan Samaddar said fogging, anti-larval operations and source-reduction drives launched after last year’s spike have reduced infections. The district has reported around 400 cases so far in 2026.The situation has also improved in Lucknow. The city reported 192 cases till August this year, compared with 396 during the same period in 2025. It has not reported a malaria-related death in the past three years.District malaria officer Dr Ritu Srivastava said surveillance is being carried out in labour colonies, construction sites and waterlogged areas, along with anti-larval drives, to curb infections during the remaining monsoon months.Infectious diseases expert Prof D Himanshu of KGMU said the decline in cases was encouraging but cautioned against complacency. He said stagnant water during the monsoon continues to provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and stressed the need for sustained surveillance, early diagnosis and vector-control measures to prevent a resurgence.
