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The UN health agency reported a total of 241 million cases of the disease in 2020, 14 million more than the previous year.
The World Health Organization says the global response to the long-standing threat of malaria has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted health care in many countries, caused more than a thousand deaths worldwide last year – leaving questions about a potential fall this year.
United Nations Health Agency in its latest edition of World Malaria Report on Monday, it reported 241 million cases of the disease in 2020, 14 million more than the previous year, and 627,000 deaths, 69,000 more.
“About two – thirds of these additional deaths [47,000] During the pandemic, they were linked to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment, “the WHO said. statement on its website.
# COVID-19 the pandemic has stopped #malaria services, which led to a significant increase in cases and deaths: 14 million more cases in 2020 compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths – a new report.
➡️https://t.co/M9sNo2Pn4u #EndMalaria pic.twitter.com/g6MKFVpQKf– World Health Organization (WHO) (@OME) December 6, 2021
“Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest malaria burden, accounting for about 95 percent of all malaria cases and 96 percent of deaths in 2020,” the UN agency said, accounting for about 80 percent of deaths in the region. children under the age of five.
Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said the continent’s governments, along with their partners, “must step up our efforts to ensure that we do not lose even more land because of this preventable disease.”
Avoid the worst situation
However, the WHO said last year’s figures could be much worse, saying its original projection predicted that malaria-related deaths could double in 2020, and many countries wanted to step up their malaria programs.
“The first message, in many ways, is good news: we can say that the hard work of the malaria-endemic countries – partners and others – has prevented the worst situation in the world. Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Program, told reporters.
“The last day is not over,” he said.
Between 2000 and 2020, 23 countries managed to pass three years in a row without local transmission, and by 2021, China and El Salvador had a malaria-free certificate.
Another positive step is to develop it the first malaria vaccine. Last week, the global vaccination alliance Gavi said it had approved a grant of nearly $ 156 million to expand ownership of children in sub-Saharan Africa.
However, the WHO warns that progress against malaria has leveled off in recent years, with two dozen countries counting the rise in malaria-related deaths since 2015, the core year of the WHO’s malaria strategy.
In the 11 hardest-hit countries, malaria cases grew by 13 million to 163 million a year between 2015 and 2020, and deaths rose by more than 54,000 and nearly 445,000 a year last year, the WHO said.
Overall, however, the agency noted the success of the latest generation. A revised methodology for counting deaths due to mortality, more accurately, said Alonso found that more than 10 million deaths had been prevented since 2000.
But in recent years, “we are not on the path to success,” he added, noting that it is difficult to know what the impact will be in 2021 and beyond.
“I wouldn’t dare say at the moment how things will evolve in the coming weeks and months,” Alonso said.
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