The Urban Malaria Scheme was launched in:

DSSSB 13 August 2024

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: DSSSB 13 August 2024

Explanation

The Urban Malaria Scheme (UMS) was launched in 1971 as a specific initiative under India's broader malaria control efforts.
It was established to address the unique challenges of malaria transmission in towns and cities, which were experiencing a resurgence of the disease in the early 1970s.
The scheme's primary strategies focused on intensive anti-larval measures to control vector breeding in urban environments and providing prompt drug treatment.

Option A: This year is incorrect. The early 2000s saw a major restructuring where the National Anti Malaria Programme was renamed the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) in 2002, integrating control of multiple vector-borne diseases.
Option B: This year is not associated with the launch of the Urban Malaria Scheme. The World Bank-assisted Enhanced Malaria Control Project (EMCP) was launched later in 1997.
Option D: This year is incorrect as it predates India's independence and the establishment of its structured national health programs. The first national-level program, the National Malaria Control Programme, was only launched in 1953.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain National Health Programs for Malaria Control in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of public health initiatives like the UMS helps nurses appreciate the evolution of disease control strategies and the specific challenges of urban versus rural public health.
Knowledge of these programs is crucial for community health nurses involved in implementing vector control measures, health education, and surveillance activities.
What if? If the question asked about the program that integrated malaria, filariasis, and dengue control under one umbrella, the answer would relate to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), established in 2002.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the specific launch year of the 'Urban Malaria Scheme'.
Recognize this as a factual recall question based on knowledge of India's national health programs.
Mentally construct a timeline of major public health initiatives. The National Malaria Control Programme started post-independence (1953).
Evaluate the options in this context. 1904 is too early (pre-independence). The 1990s and 2000s are associated with later restructuring and integration (like NVBDCP).
Recall that a resurgence of malaria in the early 1970s necessitated a targeted approach for cities, leading to the launch of the UMS in 1971.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) pp. 89-91, 90-92