Kathmandu, April 16 -- Nepal has once again missed its malaria elimination deadline, which has now been postponed to 2030.

But as new cases of both indigenous and imported malaria continue to rise each year, and with both existing and emerging challenges, experts are sceptical about the country's ability to eliminate the disease even within the next five years.

"We could not achieve the goals by the set deadline," said Dr Gokarna Dahal, chief of the Vector Control Section at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. "Multiple factors hindered the progress."

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. Infected female Anopheles mosquitoes carry these deadly parasites, according to the World Health Organisation.

Indigenous malaria ca...