Mumbai: Maharashtra witnessed a 122 per cent rise in the number of coronavirus cases. Dengue cases And malaria cases have increased by 16 per cent in one year, underlining the persistent rise in malaria. Vector-borne diseasesWhich is a growing threat. The Economic Survey report underlined the continued rise in reported cases infectious disease Like leprosy And TB.

According to the report, dengue cases increased from 8,822 in 2022-23 to 19,611 in 2023-24. The report highlights dengue as a vector-borne disease of particular concern, with mortality rates rising from 27 to 55 over the same period. Major urban districts such as Mumbai (whose reporting centres increased from 22 to 880), Pune and Nagpur have been notable contributors to both dengue cases and deaths.

Malaria cases also saw an increase, rising from 14,533 in 2022-23 to 16,821 in 2023-24. But deaths due to it decreased by 17 per cent.

Cases of chikungunya, which is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito responsible for dengue, will increase from 1,011 in 2022-23 to 2,504 in 2023-24.

A state official said the rise in dengue cases is a global problem and weather conditions and heat are contributing to the rise in infections. In addition, reporting has been strengthened for all vector-borne diseases, the official said.

The report says that in 2022, there will be 1,552 suspected TB patients per lakh population, of which 87 percent will be cured. By 2023, this figure will increase to 2,027, but the recovery rate will remain the same.

Dr Abhay Shukla, national co-convener of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyaan, was sceptical about the achievement of the National TB Programme’s target of eliminating TB by 2025. He said that despite the government’s repeated claims of progress, doctors on the ground have reported a rise in TB cases. “It seems there is no coherence between the declared objective and the strategy adopted to tackle TB,” he said. The report also highlighted a reduction in spending for TB management: Rs 235 crore was allocated in 2022-23, which dropped to Rs 216.5 crore in 2023-24.

The leprosy elimination programme is also seeing an increase in challenges. New cases are projected to rise to 20,001 in 2023-24, increasing the prevalence rate from 1.03 cases in 2022-2023 to 1.16 cases per 10,000 population.

Citing the report, state officials highlighted the increase in health expenditure. Expenditure under the National Rural Health Mission was Rs 3,631 crore in 2022-23, which increased to Rs 3,825 crore in 2023-24. Expenditure under the National Urban Health Mission increased from Rs 233.7 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 373.3 crore in 2023-24.