Mumbai Malaria Cases Rise 20% With Andheri West Among Most Affected Wards
Malaria and H1N1 cases have emerged as primary health concerns across Mumbai this monsoon, with civic data identifying K-West Ward, covering Andheri West, Nehru Nagar, and Amboli, among the key municipal areas experiencing an increase in malaria infections.
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Public Health Department data recorded up to August 31, the city registered 4,485 malaria cases between June and August. This marked a 20.1 per cent rise from the 3,733 cases recorded during the corresponding period last year. Simultaneously, H1N1 cases surged by 612 per cent across the city, climbing from 62 cases during the same three-month span last year to 441 cases this year.
The civic body reported that the rise in malaria was concentrated in several specific administrative zones. Alongside K-West Ward in Andheri West, higher numbers were recorded in E Ward, which covers Byculla, Madanpura, and Mazgaon; G-South Ward, comprising Worli and BDD Chawl; F-South Ward, covering Parel, Bhoiwada, and Sewri; and H-West Ward, which includes Hill Road, Turner Road, Pali Hill, and Perry Cross Road.
Local civic wards also registered upticks in other monsoon ailments. K-West Ward saw an increase in gastroenteritis cases, a trend shared with Kurla, Bandra West, Ghatkopar, and Khar. In neighboring K-East Ward, which covers Andheri East, health officials noted a higher incidence of leptospirosis alongside Wadala, Govandi, Mulund, Dharavi, and Matunga.
In response to the surge, the BMC stated that suspected H1N1 patients are undergoing screening and receiving oseltamivir treatment where necessary. Field teams are monitoring close contacts of infected individuals for 10 days and carrying out door-to-door health surveys in affected localities. The civic administration added that municipal hospitals maintain adequate reserved beds, ventilators, personal protective equipment kits, and medicine supplies to treat patients who require admission.
Civic teams have also expanded mosquito-control operations across the city. For malaria prevention, workers inspected 52,197 potential breeding sites and detected Anopheles mosquito breeding at 8,055 locations. For dengue containment, officials examined 12,55,469 potential breeding sites, identifying Aedes mosquito breeding at 27,352 locations, while removing 1,807 discarded tyres and 59,841 scrap items from rooftops and premises.
Despite the spikes in malaria and swine flu, several other seasonal illnesses dropped across Mumbai. Dengue cases fell 20.7 per cent from 1,972 to 1,563, and chikungunya dropped 87.6 per cent from 370 to 46. Leptospirosis infections decreased 37.2 per cent from 406 to 255, gastroenteritis dropped 11.1 per cent from 2,197 to 1,954, and COVID-19 cases declined 77.4 per cent from 668 to 151.
