Covid-19 threatening global progress in fight against malaria: WHO

UN World Health Organization (WHO) has urged nations and health partners to step up the fight against malaria, with better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding.

Gaps in life-saving interventions are undermining efforts to curb malaria, amid fears that the coronavirus pandemic could set back the fight against the disease even further, according to the World Malaria Report, released on Monday, the situation is particularly concerning in high-burden countries in Africa, reports UN News.

"It is time for leaders across Africa -- and the world -- to rise once again to the challenge of malaria, just as they did when they laid the foundation for the progress made since the beginning of this century," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Through joint action, and a commitment to leaving no one behind, we can achieve our shared vision of a world free of malaria," he said.

Though preventable and curable, malaria continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. According to WHO, nearly half of the world's population is at risk of the disease and most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria is transmitted through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes, and controlling the vector -- such as by using mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying -- can help prevent and reduce transmission of the disease.

"A PLATEAU IN PROGRESS"

The WHO report found that in 2019, the number of malaria cases globally recorded was about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years. Last year, the disease claimed about 409,000 lives, compared to 411,000 in 2018.

As in past years, the African region accounted for more than 90 per cent of the overall disease burden. The region has made much progress since 2000, reducing its malaria death toll by 44 per cent but the pace has slowed in recent years, particularly in countries with a high disease burden.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic emerged as an additional challenge for essential health services worldwide. Though most malaria prevention campaigns were able to move forward without major delays, WHO voiced concerns that even  "moderate disruptions" in access to treatment could lead to a considerable loss of life.