World Malaria Day, marked every 25 April, aims to keep malaria high on the political agenda, mobilize additional resources, and empower communities. The theme for World Malaria Day 2024 is “Accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.” The theme focuses on the attempts to eliminate the disease completely and to educate and inform people to prevent it from reaching more people.
According to UNICEF data, four out of five malaria deaths are reported in African nations. The 15 countries with most number of deaths due to malaria are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Mozambique, Ghana, Angola, Uganda, etc. Malaria is the third largest communicable disease which is killing children between the ages of one month and five years, after pneumonia and diarrhea. Nearly 300,000 children under the age of five die of malaria died in 2016 equivalent to nearly 800 young lives lost each day.
According to WHO, in recent years, progress in reducing malaria has ground to a standstill. Not only does malaria continue to directly endanger health and cost lives, but it also perpetuates a vicious cycle of inequity. People living in the most vulnerable situations including pregnant women, infants, children under 5 years of age, refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, and Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately impacted. Infants and young children continue to suffer the greatest mortality; in 2022, an estimated 4 out of 5 malaria-related deaths in the African Region were among children under 5 years of age. Inequities in access to education and financial resources further exacerbates risk: children under 5 years of age from the poorest households in sub-Saharan Africa are 5 times more likely to be infected with malaria than those from the wealthiest households.
Pregnancy reduces a woman’s immunity to malaria, making her more susceptible to infection and increasing her risk of severe disease and death. Gender inequalities, discrimination and harmful gender norms heighten her risk of contracting the disease. If untreated, malaria in pregnancy can cause severe anaemia, maternal death, stillbirth, premature delivery, and low-birth weight babies. Refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and Indigenous Peoples are also at higher risk of malaria and may disproportionately experience adverse conditions where malaria thrives.
The dangerous mosquito-borne illness is caused by the Plasmodium parasites that spread through infected female Anopheles mosquito bites. The disease is caused by five parasitic species i.e. P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi. The first is only harmful to humans, while the last one, P. knowlesi, causes the disease to spread to macaques and monkeys. Fever, headache, and chills are some of the most common symptoms that appear within 10 to 15 days of the bite. However, people who live in endemic areas may not experience any symptoms due to their immunity.
Only mosquito bites from infected mosquitoes can transmit malaria which isn't communicable and can't pass starting with one individual and then onto the next. There are more than 400 species of female Anopheles mosquitoes, of which approximately 40 are considered vector species and can transmit the disease. However, bed nets, insecticide spraying, staying indoors, maintaining a clean environment, and many other proven strategies can all be used to prevent malaria. Malaria is also prevented from spreading through early diagnosis and complete treatment.
As per the WHO, World Malaria Day focuses on eliminating the effects of malaria in the following ways:
- Putting an end to discrimination and stigma.
- Involving communities in the process of health decision-making.
- Bringing medical services near where individuals reside and managing essential medical care.
- Addressing factors that increment malaria dangers.
- Remembering malaria control medications for widespread health coverage.
