Epidemiology Picture of Malaria and Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of Patients Regarding Malaria in the Region of North India

Malaria's rapid emergence and resurgence have become a threat to our society, increasing in both intensity and severity. It has devastating socioeconomic consequences in a developing country like India. Malaria is one of the most serious vector-borne diseases and has been a menace to society for thousands of years. There is an effort to study the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of people regarding Malaria. This will help in identifying the gaps in the measures adopted and the knowledge, attitude and of the population. Despite various surveillance and education programs, the available data only reflects trends, not the real disease burden. It has been discovered that very few studies on the epidemiology of malaria have been conducted in the northern part of the country, with very limited information on age and sex-specific seasonal prevalence of the disease. The people living in rural areas were found to be more vulnerable to malaria. The disease was found to be more prevalent among the lower socio-economic strata and young population leading to considerable adverse effects on health and the economy. It is also critical to investigate people's Malaria knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The current chapter provides an overview of the assessment of regional malaria trends, highlights progress toward global targets, and describes opportunities and challenges in controlling and eliminating the disease in the district of north India.