Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) today said it will continue to make investments to expand in Madhya Pradesh the reach of its project that seeks to curb spread of vector-borne diseases.
On the occasion of World Malaria Day today, the health care company said it is committed to work towards creating a malaria-free India by 2030.
"In April 2016, GCPL commissioned a project on the elimination of mosquito-borne endemic diseases (EMBED), which aims to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by vector-borne diseases. We are committed to create malaria free India by 2030," Managing Director Vivek Gambhir Managing Director told reporters here.
The project focuses on improving the knowledge and awareness of communities through behaviour change campaigns, thus empowering communities at the bottom of the pyramid to take charge of their own protection, he said.
In its first phase, EMBED covered Mandla and Dindori districts in Madhya Pradesh, a state with one of the highest burdens of malaria in India. Currently, in its second phase the project has reached 3,000 villages, 7 lakh households and 35,00,000 people across 9 districts in Madhya Pradesh, Gambhir said.
The project is in line with the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030, which outlines India's agenda for elimination of the disease by 2030, he said.
"We are optimistic about the progress made by EMBED in Madhya Pradesh. We will continue to invest in expanding its reach.
"In the second phase, we have targeted 7 additional districts (Jhabua, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Singrauli, Alirajpur and Balaghat) with high malaria burdens, and aim to cover over 3,000 villages across these areas," he added.