World Malaria Report 2021:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released its World Malaria Report 2021
- In the report, the WHO notes that ‘Global efforts to tackle malaria suffered because of novel coronavirus disease in 2020.
- Report further warned that, if proper action is not taken, the world will witness the danger of seeing an immediate resurgence of Malaria, particularly in Africa.
Deaths due to Malaria
- In 2020, there were an estimated 627,000 malaria deaths. The number of deaths increase by 12 per cent as compared to 2019.
- Around 47,000 (accounting for 68%) of the additional 69000 deaths were linked to disruptions in provision of malaria diagnosis, treatment and prevention amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 241 million malaria cases were reported in 85 malaria-endemic countries in 2020. This figure increased from 227 million in 2019.
- Most of the increase in number of cases were reported from countries in the WHO African Region.
- The WHO African Region accounted for around 95 percent of the cases. It accounted for 228 million malaria cases in 2020.
- Twenty-nine countries were responsible for 96 per cent of malaria cases across the world.
- Six countries namely Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola and Burkina Faso accounted for around 55 per cent of all cases worldwide.
- India is responsible for 83 per cent of cases in WHO South-East Asia Region.
- Sri Lanka was certified malaria-free in the year 2016 and it remains malaria-free.
- Global progress against malaria had downgraded even before the covid-19 pandemic. Countries having high burden of the Malaria were losing ground. Since 2015, around 24 countries have registered increases in malaria mortality.
