Approximately 249 million malaria cases reported worldwide

The report noted that extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods can directly affect transmission and the disease burden, highlighting that the 2022 floods in Pakistan caused malaria cases in the country to increase fivefold.

“2.6 MILLION CASES REPORTED IN PAKISTAN”

Emphasizing that the Covid-19 pandemic significantly disrupted malaria services, the report stated that the pandemic period negatively affected the fight against the disease by leading to an increase in both case and death rates.

The report mentioned that there were 5 million additional malaria cases worldwide in 2022 compared to the previous year, with the largest increases occurring in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

The report included that 500 thousand malaria cases were seen in Pakistan in 2021, and this figure rose to 2.6 million in 2022.

Recalling that new infection and death rates in the 11 countries with the highest malaria case rates stabilized after the initial surge in the first year of the pandemic, the report noted that an estimated 167 million malaria cases and 426 thousand related deaths occurred in these countries in 2022.

In the report, the phased rollout of the RTS,S malaria vaccine recommended by the WHO in three African countries was also evaluated as “successful.”

“THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED”

Reminding that the WHO recommended a second vaccine called R21/Matrix-M in October for the prevention of the disease in children at risk of malaria, the report stated, “The availability of two malaria vaccines is expected to increase supply and enable large-scale distribution across Africa.”

The report included the following statements: “Progress has been made toward eliminating malaria in many countries with a low disease burden. In 2022, 34 countries reported fewer than 1000 malaria cases, while in 2000 this number was only 13. This year alone, Azerbaijan, Belize, and Tajikistan were certified as malaria-free by the WHO.”

Emphasizing the need for a significant turning point in the fight against malaria through increased resources, strengthened political commitment, data-driven strategies, and innovative tools, the report stated that the added threat of climate change should not be ignored in the fight against malaria.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose views were included in the report, noted that changing climate conditions pose a significant risk to progress in the fight against malaria, especially in vulnerable regions.

Ghebreyesus stated, “Sustainable and resilient malaria interventions are needed now more than ever, alongside urgent actions to slow the pace of global warming and mitigate its effects.”

News Source: AA