Malaria in Gujarat and Surat: Statistics and What They Mean (2026)
Malaria cases in Gujarat are reported to be down by about 45% in 2026, but Surat’s own long-term story is the more useful one: the city’s yearly malaria count has fallen from a peak of 13,593 in 2010 to 4,582 in 2018, the latest year in the city’s published annual report. This page collects the published numbers, shows exactly what period each covers, and flags where they should not be compared.
By Nirav Thakkar, Universal Pest Control Service, Surat (serving homes and businesses since 1998). Published 23 October 2026.
Key findings at a glance
- Gujarat reported 774 malaria cases up to Week 33 of 2026, against 1,407 in the same period of 2025, a fall of 45% (Source: Health Department of Gujarat, as reported by The News Mill and The CSR Journal, 19-20 August 2026).
- Over 1.11 crore blood samples were tested for malaria in Gujarat in 2026 up to that point, and no malaria deaths were reported in the period (Source: same).
- Gujarat recorded 4,365 malaria cases in 2024 from about 1.81 crore tests, with 1 death (Source: NCVBDC malaria situation table).
- India recorded 255,500 malaria cases and 86 deaths in 2024 (Source: NCVBDC malaria situation table).
- Surat city examined about 1.32 million blood smears in 2018 and found 4,582 positive, of which 449 were the more dangerous P. falciparum type (Source: Surat Municipal Corporation, Vector Borne Diseases Control Annual Report).
- In 2001 P. falciparum made up about 42% of Surat’s positive cases. By 2018 it was about 10% (our calculation from the SMC figures).
Contents
- Gujarat in 2026: the Week 33 comparison
- Gujarat 2021-2024
- India for context
- Surat city, 2001-2018
- Read this before comparing numbers
- What this means for households and businesses
- Methodology and sources
1. Gujarat in 2026: the Week 33 comparison
On World Mosquito Day (20 August 2026) the Gujarat government released mosquito-borne disease figures up to Week 33, compared with the same weeks of 2025.
| Disease | 2026 (to Week 33) | 2025 (to Week 33) | Reported change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaria | 774 | 1,407 | -45% |
| Dengue | 788 | 1,293 | -39.1% |
| Chikungunya | 80 | 154 | -48.1% |
Source: Health Department of Gujarat, as reported by The News Mill (19 August 2026) and The CSR Journal (20 August 2026). Percentages recalculate correctly from the counts.
The same release described the response behind those numbers:
- House-to-house fever surveillance, phase 1 (27 April to 6 May 2026), reached 89% coverage.
- Phase 2 (1 to 10 July 2026) used 19,558 teams, covered over 6.51 crore people, collected over 257,000 blood samples and identified and treated 28 malaria patients.
- Over 29.63 lakh mosquito breeding sites were cleared and over 321,000 houses fogged.
- Insecticide spraying reached over 1 lakh people in 116 villages across 24 malaria-sensitive districts in round one.
- 497 vector control teams were deployed, and larvivorous fish were released at 5,024 permanent waterlogging sites by the end of July 2026.
Source: Health Department of Gujarat, as reported by The News Mill and The CSR Journal, August 2026.
2. Gujarat 2021-2024
| Year | Tests | Malaria cases | P. falciparum | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,297,050 | 4,921 | 465 | 0 |
| 2022 | 15,192,658 | 4,785 | 518 | 0 |
| 2023 | 17,442,857 | 4,311 | 662 | 1 |
| 2024 | 18,109,327 | 4,365 | 698 | 1 |
Source: NCVBDC, “Malaria Situation” table. The table is undated; its latest column is 2025 up to June. Year labels were matched to columns by order.
Cases fell slightly between 2021 and 2024 while testing rose by about a quarter. Cases per test therefore fell from roughly 0.034% to 0.024% (our calculation). P. falciparum cases, the type linked to severe malaria, rose from 465 to 698 over the same years, so the picture is not one-directional.
3. India for context
| Year | Tests | Malaria cases | P. falciparum | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 114,391,977 | 161,753 | 101,566 | 90 |
| 2022 | 152,049,892 | 176,522 | 101,070 | 83 |
| 2023 | 164,738,643 | 227,564 | 137,945 | 83 |
| 2024 | 181,653,330 | 255,500 | 153,472 | 86 |
Source: NCVBDC, “Malaria Situation” table (undated). For 2025 up to June it lists 97,995 cases and 5 deaths from 87,803,095 tests.
Nationally, reported cases rose each year from 2021 to 2024 while testing also grew. Gujarat’s 4,365 cases in 2024 were under 2% of India’s 255,500 (our calculation).
4. Surat city, 2001-2018
The Surat Municipal Corporation publishes year-by-year malaria data for the city. Selected years are shown below.
| Year | Blood smears examined | Total positive | P. falciparum | P. falciparum share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 510,592 | 11,363 | 4,781 | 42.1% |
| 2006 | 737,308 | 12,617 | 4,895 | 38.8% |
| 2010 | 1,114,752 | 13,593 | 4,147 | 30.5% |
| 2014 | 1,378,113 | 7,606 | 1,246 | 16.4% |
| 2016 | 1,346,225 | 9,331 | 1,385 | 14.8% |
| 2017 | 1,317,036 | 7,099 | 883 | 12.4% |
| 2018 | 1,318,342 | 4,582 | 449 | 9.8% |
Source: Surat Municipal Corporation, Vector Borne Diseases Control Annual Report (annual table 2001-2018). Share column is our calculation.
Positive cases by year (selected years)
Three things stand out. First, testing has grown by about two and a half times since 2001, so more cases were being found even as the underlying picture improved. Second, positives peaked at 13,593 in 2010 and were 66% lower by 2018 (our calculation). Third, the share of P. falciparum fell sharply, from about 42% in 2001 to about 10% in 2018.
The same report records 598 surveillance workers in 2018 and indoor residual spraying coverage of 75% in round 1 and 77% in round 2, reaching 179,741 houses in high-risk areas. It also lists vacant posts: 161 of 927 field worker posts were vacant (staff position table, no year given).
5. Read this before comparing numbers
- Surat data is old. The latest year in the city’s published annual report is 2018. We could not find a newer city-level malaria table, so we do not state a current Surat figure.
- Different cut-offs. The 2026 figures run to Week 33. The NCVBDC table gives full years and a 2025 figure up to June (722 cases for Gujarat). These must not be compared with each other.
- Reported, not independently audited. The 2026 reductions come from a government release carried by news outlets. We have not seen the underlying weekly bulletin.
- Testing changes the count. More tests find more cases, so a rising count can mean better surveillance rather than more disease.
- Small internal differences. The Surat report’s monthly table gives 7,737 cases for 2014 while its annual table gives 7,606. We use the annual table.
6. What this means for households and businesses
Falling numbers are good news, but they describe a whole state or city, not your street. Malaria and dengue mosquitoes breed in small amounts of standing water: coolers, flower pots, terrace tanks, construction sites, unused tyres. Regularly emptying and covering these is one of the most useful things a household or society can do, and no pest control service replaces it.
Where a society, factory or construction site has repeated mosquito complaints, professional treatment of breeding sites and resting areas can reduce mosquito numbers, as part of a plan that includes water management. It does not make a property mosquito-free, and results depend on the site. Anyone with fever should get tested at a doctor or government centre rather than rely on pest control for health decisions.
Our pesticides are registered with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
7. Methodology and sources
Every figure was read from the source named beside it during research on 23 October 2026. Where we calculated a percentage or share, we say so. We did not use figures we could not attribute to a named source. The 2025 Week 33 testing figure appeared as “over 1.09 crore” in one summary and “over 1 crore” in another, so we do not state it precisely.
- Health Department of Gujarat, malaria, dengue and chikungunya figures to Week 33 of 2026, as reported by The News Mill (19 August 2026).
- Same release, as reported by The CSR Journal (20 August 2026).
- National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, “Malaria Situation” table (undated, includes 2025 to June).
- Surat Municipal Corporation, Vector Borne Diseases Control Department, Annual Report (data 2001-2018).
About the author
Nirav Thakkar runs Universal Pest Control Service in Surat, which has served homes, societies and businesses since 1998. For questions about mosquito control at your property, see our mosquito control service in Surat or contact us.