Treatment interruptions could lead to tens of thousands more deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its annual report on the mosquito-borne disease that there is a risk of tens of thousands more people killing from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa due to the COVID-19 pandemic Monday.
The United Nations Health Department said it was concerned that even moderate disruptions in access to treatment could result in “significant loss of life”.
A 10 percent disruption of access to effective malaria treatment in sub-Saharan Africa could result in 19,000 additional deaths, the report said. That number rose to 46,000 for a 25 percent disorder and 100,000 for a 50 percent disorder.
“Progress has stalled,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “COVID-19 threatens to further affect our efforts to overcome malaria, especially the treatment of people with the disease. Despite the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on African economies, international partners and countries need to do more to ensure the resources are in place to expand malaria programs that are transforming people’s lives. “
The latest WHO World Report on Malaria, which is preventable and treatable and mainly affects countries in Africa, shows that progress against the disease had already slowed by the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this year.
WHO says distribution of nets and other malaria prevention measures continued even with COVID-19, but the pandemic has made it difficult for people to get access to treatment [File: Yanick Folly/AFP]There were 229 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2019, an annual number that has remained virtually unchanged over the past four years. Around 409,000 people died from the disease in 2019, compared with 411,000 in 2018.
The UN health agency says funding is part of the problem.
In 2000, the African heads of state and government signed the landmark Abuja Declaration, according to which the number of malaria deaths on the continent should be reduced by 50 percent over a period of 10 years.
Political engagement came with a sharp increase in national and international funding, which helped reduce the continent’s death toll from malaria by 44 percent.
Funding bottleneck
However, the funding shortages have created gaps in access to malaria control measures, the WHO said, and the shortage in 2019 was $ 3 billion, compared to a target of $ 5.6 billion.
“Better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding are needed to change the global course of disease and achieve internationally agreed goals,” said the WHO.
COVID-19 has emerged as an additional challenge as most malaria prevention campaigns, such as B. treated sleeping nets continued without delays in the pandemic making it difficult for people living with malaria to get the treatment they need.
The health department predicts that the 2020 global target to reduce the incidence of malaria cases by 37 percent and the target to reduce mortality by 22 percent will be missed.
WHO warns the world not to miss 2020 targets for malaria incidence and deaths [File: AFP]In addition to pushing for spending to increase, WHO notes that its response to the “high stress by high impact” (HBHI) that began in 2018 could help reinvigorate progress.
The 11 countries following the strategy, 10 of them in Africa, have adapted their responses to the disease based on local data and evidence.
Although the review is still in its infancy, the report found that deaths in the 11 countries participating in the program fell from 263,000 to 226,000 between 2018 and 2019. India reported a decrease in cases and deaths of 18 percent and 20 percent respectively over the past two years.
The report shows that 21 countries have eliminated malaria in the past 20 years. Of these, 10 countries were officially certified as malaria-free by the WHO.
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