Bridging borders for eliminating vector-borne diseases: a shared responsibility for the Indian states

India bears one of the highest burdens of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) globally, underscoring the urgency of effective control and elimination measures. While multiple factors contribute to the VBD prevalence in India, interstate migration poses a growing challenge to its control, particularly for diseases targeted for elimination. A large influx of migrants from endemic regions continuously moves into urban centres, heightening the risk of transmission into areas that were previously under control. Although VBD elimination programmes operate at the national level, states implement them in a decentralised manner based on their resources and manpower capacity, which creates fragmented execution and coordination gaps. This article highlights the urgent need to strengthen cross-state collaborations and design targeted interventions that address migration-driven VBD risks. The article calls on state health departments, labour ministries, and central agencies to coordinate efforts, enhance surveillance, improve data sharing, and engage in joint planning to drive sustained progress towards India's VBD elimination goals by proposing a four-pillar Interstate VBD Coordination Framework.