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).
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