The World Health Organisation (WHO) observed World Malaria Day on April 25.

It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. It was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007.

This year’s theme was “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives”.

WHO called for investments and innovation that bring new vector control approaches, diagnostics, anti-malarial medicines and other tools to speed the pace of progress against malaria.

Some facts on malaria:

• Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called “malaria vectors”. 

• The first symptoms – fever, headache, and chills – may be mild and difficult to recognise as malaria. If not treated within 24 hours, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, often leading to death.

• According to WHO’s World Malaria Report, there were an estimated 24.1 crore malaria cases and 6.27 lakh malaria deaths worldwide in 2020. This represents about 14 million more cases in 2020 compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths. Approximately two-thirds of these additional deaths (47,000) were linked to disruptions in the provision of malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic.

• The WHO African Region, with an estimated 22.8 crore cases in 2020, accounted for about 95 per cent of cases.

• Six countries – Nigeria (27 per cent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12  per cent), Uganda (5 per cent), Mozambique (4  per cent), Angola (3.4  per cent) and Burkina Faso (3.4  per cent) – accounted for about 55  per cent of all cases globally.

• Sri Lanka was certified malaria free in 2016 and remains malaria free.

•  The percentage of total malaria deaths in children aged under 5 years reduced from 87 per cent in 2000 to 77 per cent in 2020.

• WHO has initiated the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) initiative in 11 high malaria burden countries, including India.

• Between 2019 and 2020, all HBHI countries, except India, reported increases in cases and deaths. In India, the rate of reduction decreased compared with pre-pandemic years. 

• Overall, malaria cases in HBHI countries increased from 15 crore cases and 3.9 lakh  deaths in 2015, to 15.4 crore cases and 3.98 lakh deaths by 2019, and to 16.3 crore cases and 4.44 lakh deaths in 2020.

Malaria cases in India

• India accounted for 83 per cent of cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

• Malaria elimination efforts were initiated in the country in 2015 and were intensified after the launch of National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) in 2016 by the ministry of health and family welfare.

• National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22) was launched by the health ministry in July 2017 which laid down strategies for the next five years.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India has made remarkable progress in reducing the malaria incidence and deaths. “Our efforts have resulted in 86.45 per cent decline in malaria cases and 79.16 per cent reduction in malaria related deaths in 2021 as compared to 2015. 124 districts in the country have reported ‘zero malaria case’. This is a major step towards our goal for elimination of malaria but still more needs to be done to fulfil the dream of Malaria Free India,” he said.

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