Context: According to the World Malaria Report 2023, Malaria cases continue to dip in India but they are up globally.
What are the key highlights of the World Malaria Report 2023?
- As per the World Malaria Report 2023 there were around 33 lakh malaria cases and 5,000 deaths in India last year, a decrease of 30% and 34 % respectively compared with 2021.
- The key finding regarding the malaria trend in India according to the World Malaria Report 2023
- Reduction in Malaria cases and Fatalities in 2022: Approximately 33 lakh cases and 5,000 deaths reported, marking a decline of 30% and 34% respectively from 2021.
- Reason for Decline: Effective preventive strategies, case management, availability of vector control tools, point-of-care diagnostics, and prompt community-level treatments.
- Globally Upward Trend: Globally, malaria cases rose to 249 million in 2022, depicting an increase of 5 million compared to 2021.
- Over the past decade, global malaria cases have stabilized, decreasing from 243 million in 2000 to 233 million in 2019.
- However, amid the pandemic, cases surged, with an additional 11 million reported in 2020. This figure remained consistent in 2021 but escalated in 2022.
- The global malaria deaths also rose, with 608,000 fatalities recorded in 2022, up from 576,000 in 2019.
About World Malaria Report:
- Released By: It is released each year by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Objective: It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of trends in malaria control and elimination across the globe.
- New Chapter: This year’s report includes a dedicated chapter focused on the intersection between climate change and malaria.
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Also Read: Climate Change And Rising Disease
About Malaria Disease
- Type of disease: Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes and caused by plasmodium protozoa. Prevalence: It poses a life-threatening risk, primarily affecting tropical and subtropical regions in Africa, South America, and Asia.
- Cause:
- This disease is caused by plasmodium parasites, which spread through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- These parasites multiply initially in liver cells and then attack Red Blood Cells (RBCs).
- Transmission: The transmission of malaria occurs through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. The parasites proliferate first in liver cells before invading Red Blood Cells (RBCs).
- Species and Threat: Five parasite species cause malaria in humans, with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax posing the most significant threat.
- Symptoms: Common symptoms include fever and flu-like illness, characterised by chills, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue.
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Indian Initiatives to Control Malaria:
National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016-2030)
- Target: The Government of India set a target to eliminate malaria in India by 2027.
- National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination for 5 years.
- Launched in 2017, It shifted focus from Malaria control to elimination.
- It provided a roadmap to end malaria in 571 districts out of India’s 678 districts by 2022.
- Malaria Elimination Research Alliance-India (MERA-India)
- Established by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- It is a conglomeration of partners working on malaria control
- India Achievement: India has achieved a reduction of over 83% in malaria morbidity and 92% in malaria mortality between the years 2000 and 2020.
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Source: Indian Express
December 1, 2023