Zero malaria starts with me, World Malaria Day

KARACHI: Every year World Malaria Day is observed on 25th day of April with a target of augmenting awareness apropos Malaria and make sure that the required treatment or deterrents are available to those who require them.  

This year, the theme of this WHO observance day is Zero Malaria Starts with Me. Presently, when the humanity is combating the mysterious respiratory ailment caused by coronavirus,  shortage of insecticide-treated net campaigns and anti-malarial medicines could double the number of Malaria deaths as compared to 2018 when 228 million cases of malaria were globally reported out of which 4,05, 000 expired.

Following a new modeling analysis WHO has called to minimize disruptions to malaria prevention and treatment services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme,  Dr. Pedro Alonso cautioned: “As COVID-19 continues its rapid spread, WHO would like to send a clear message to malaria-affected countries in Africa. Do not scale back your planned malaria prevention, diagnostic and treatment activities. If someone living in a place with malaria develops a fever, he or she should seek diagnosis and care as soon as possible.”

WHO maintains: The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the resilience of robust health systems around the world. Recognizing the heavy toll that malaria exacts on vulnerable populations in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the region’s fragile health infrastructure, WHO underlines the critical importance of sustaining efforts to prevent, detect and treat malaria.

Ensuring access to core malaria prevention measures is an important strategy for reducing the strain on health systems; these include vector control measures, such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, as well as chemoprevention for pregnant women and young children (intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, intermittent preventive treatment in infants and seasonal malaria chemoprevention). Additional special measures could ease the burden on health systems in the context of COVID-19, such as presumptive malaria treatment and mass drug administration.

Any interventions must consider the importance of both lowering malaria-related mortality and ensuring the safety of communities and health workers. WHO will provide guidance for countries to safely maintain essential health services in the context of the COVID-19 response.

About COVID-19

About COVID-19: It is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

About Malaria: It is a preventable and treatable disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.