National malaria eradication program was launched in the year?

AIIMS Raipur - 2017 (Shift-3)

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur - 2017 (Shift-3)

Explanation

The National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP) was launched in 1958 with the goal of completely eliminating malaria from India.
This program was an evolution of the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), which had been started in 1953.
The success of the initial control efforts provided the motivation to shift the strategy from 'control' to 'eradication'.

Option A: This is a common point of confusion. 1953 was the year the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) was launched, not the Eradication Program.
Option C: No major national malaria program was launched in 1970. The Urban Malaria Scheme was launched a year later, in 1971, to address the rising problem of malaria in urban areas.
Option D: In 2002, the malaria control program was integrated into the larger National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), which also covers other diseases like Dengue, Filariasis, and Japanese Encephalitis.

Visual 1: Timeline Infographic - A timeline showing the evolution of malaria control programs in India, highlighting key dates and name changes (NMCP in 1953, NMEP in 1958, MPO in 1977, integration into NVBDCP in 2002).

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History of National Health Programs in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of national health programs helps community health nurses appreciate the evolution of public health strategies and the context behind current policies.
The shift from 'control' to 'eradication' signifies a change in strategy from merely reducing disease prevalence to aiming for complete interruption of transmission, which has different implications for surveillance and resource allocation.
What if the question asked about the 'Modified Plan of Operations (MPO)' for malaria? The answer would be 1977, which was implemented in response to a major resurgence of malaria in the 1970s.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'National Malaria Eradication Program' and 'launched in the year'.
Pay close attention to the specific word 'Eradication'. Test-setters often use similar-sounding programs like 'Control' Program to create plausible distractors.
Recall or look for the specific timeline of India's health programs. Differentiate between the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and the National Malaria Eradication Program (NMEP).
NMCP was launched in 1953. Due to its success, it was converted into NMEP in 1958.
Evaluate the options based on this knowledge. 1953 is the launch year for NMCP, making it a strong distractor. 1958 is the correct year for NMEP.
Eliminate other years that correspond to different phases or programs (e.g., 2002 for integration into NVBDCP).

Concept Tested & Keywords

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