1962, World United Against Malaria
This stamp was issued in April 1962 to bring awareness to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global campaign to eradicate malaria, the ‘Global Malaria Eradication Program (GMEP)’. Launched in 1955 at the World Health Assembly, the campaign was one of the world’s most ambitious international health interventions.
The Government of India launched its own National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP) in 1958, with technical support from WHO. The agency had already run four pilot malaria control projects together with UNICEF in the regions of Mysore, Odisha, Madras and Terai. In 1962, Nearly 20% of India’s health budget was allocated to malaria eradication. According to the 2024 World Malaria Report, between 2017 and 2023, India saw a 69% reduction in Malaria cases and a 68% reduction in deaths.
WHO expert testing a boy for malaria in Uttar Pradesh, 1949. Photo: WHO
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