The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted efforts to combat malaria.
According to a World Health Organization report published Thursday, 63,000 additional deaths and 13 million additional infections have been recorded worldwide in two years.
"Thus, by disrupting essential malaria control services, putting pressure on national economies, and causing several other disruptions, the pandemic has had an impact, even though countries have managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. Over the two years of the pandemic, we estimate that approximately 63,000 additional deaths and about 13 million additional cases were due to disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions due to the pandemic continue to pose risks to malaria control.... But it is important to emphasize that even before the pandemic, global progress against malaria was at a standstill..." said Dr. Abdisalan Noor, Chief of the Strategic Information Unit for the GMP Response, WHO.
Approximately 95% of malaria infections and deaths recorded worldwide last year occurred in Africa.
The WHO estimates that the total investment in malaria - about $3.5 billion - is less than half of what is needed to significantly reduce its impact.
"We are highlighting the challenges of antimalarial resistance and are particularly concerned about its emergence in the African region and the expansion of a new vector in the African region, Anopheles Stephensi, as well as the challenges to our diagnostic tools. These are therefore the areas in which we need new investments, both in research and development, but also in the implementation of more costly interventions," added Dr. Abdisalan Noor.
While many hopes were placed in the authorization of the wider deployment of the first malaria vaccine, reality revealed that the inoculation was only about 30% effective and required 4 doses.
