Skip to main content

2018 World Malaria Day on 25 April: Ready to Beat Malaria




The theme for the 2018 World Malaria Day celebrated annually on 25 April is ‘Ready to Beat Malaria.’

According to the latest research by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2016 nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria. In total in 2016, there were 216 million cases of malaria identified across 91 countries, an increase of 5 million over 2015. 

European regions documented no cases at all; but some parts of Southeast Asia, Western Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa saw an increase in numbers.

The total number of malaria fatalities has declined since 2010, however the Africa region still has an estimated 90% of all global malaria cases and deaths, based on the findings of the 2017 WHO Malaria Report. WHO is therefore continuing to focus on the African region.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 is to include efforts to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by 2030. However, governments now need to determine priorities for health-sector investments.

The 2017 WHO Malaria Report indicates continued gaps in basic prevention, diagnostic, and treatment tools, where less than half of households in sub-Saharan Africa have sufficient access to bed nets — 1 per 2 people. And between 2010 and 2016, the number of people in the Africa region protecting themselves with indoor room spray dropped by 35 million.

Mosquitoes develop resistence to insecticide-treated bed nets and other prevention methods, such as antimalarial medicines. Insecticide-treated bed nets continue to be effective, but with population growth, and because funding has plateaued over the past 5-6 years, the per capita investment in the fight against malaria is decreasing in many countries.

WHO estimates that annual funding for malaria would need to increase to $6.5 billion per year by 2020 to reach the first milestone of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, which is a reduction of at least 40% in malaria case incidences and mortality rates globally when compared to 2015 figures.

In 2016, $2.7 billion was invested in malaria control and elimination efforts, mostly through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 

Continued funds were sought at the April 2018 Malaria Summit London, hosted by Bill Gates, which raised $4.1 billion in commitments. 








MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...
1 comment
Read more

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...
2 comments
Read more

The Knight in the Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli (2015 translation): book review

The Knight in the Panther Skin (12th century, this edition 2015) is a recent translation by American poet and author, Lyn Coffin. The author, Shota Rustaveli, is Georgia’s most loved poet. This poem is mammoth, a magnum opus – it is 1,656 verses long, separated by chapters. But readers, don’t give up, because every verse is worth reading. It is akin to 1001 Arabian Knights, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, or Shakespearean poetry. King Rostevan of Arabia has a daughter, Tinatin. She loves the knight Avtandil and he loves her. Verse 368 from Avtandil: ‘The doctor’s could do nothing. A dark twilight on my heart now pressed, I was on fire because of love, but nobody knew or guessed. They blamed my blood. The king decided bleeding my arm would be best; I let it be done to hide the suffering I had not confessed.’ But a knight in panther skin is seen weeping, and subsequently kills the king’s soldiers, sparing the king. Before Tinatin weds Avtandil she r...
Post a Comment
Read more