In 2022, according to the report, malaria cases worldwide were estimated at 249 million, 16 million more than in the pre-pandemic era of 2019. and insecticide resistance, resource limitations, as well as climate changes and Delays in the implementation of malaria control programs, especially in high-burden countries, have impacted malaria cases worldwide.
The report hints about the nexus between climate change and the malaria surge. Changes in temperature, humidity or rainfall can impact the Anopheles mosquito, the known carrier of malaria. In fact, these factors can change the behaviour and survival of Anopheles. Extreme weather events linked to climate change, like heatwaves, flooding etc., can impact both the transmission of malaria and the disease burden. Citing an example, the report talked about the catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and said that it increased malaria five-fold in the country.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying in an observation on climate change and malaria cases: “Climate change poses a very great threat to progress against malaria, especially in vulnerable regions. Sustainable and resilient responses to malaria are now needed. than ever, along with urgent measures to slow the speed of global warming and lessen its effects.
The climate-driven migration of the human population to newer places would likely have exposed other non-immune people to spaces where malaria is endemic. In addition, inaccessibility to an essential anti-malarial material and abnormal materials from medicines, insecticide-treated nets and vaccines are contributing to this global increase.
The report states that the COVID-19 pandemic has particularly disrupted malaria services, leading to an increase in cases and mortality. Five countries bear the burden of five million cases, with Pakistan leading the way, recording 2. 6 million cases in 2022, up from 500,000 in 2021. In addition to Pakistan, Uganda, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia have also noticed a significant increase in malaria cases.
11 countries which have the highest burden of malaria globally are supported through WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) approach. These countries recorded 167 million malaria cases in 2022, with 4,26,000 deaths. The report finds that with the current trend the progress towards meeting the aim of malaria containment strategy is out of track by a wide margin.
India has recorded the cases in the WHO-defined Southeast Asia region
The WHO report found that India accounted for 66% of all malaria cases in the WHO-defined Southeast Asia region in 2022. However, the region saw an overall reduction of 11. 9% in estimated cases between 2022 and last year.
Death due to malaria in this region also decreased by 77% from 35000 in 2000 to 8000 in 2022. However, the highest proportion of deaths were contributed by India and Indonesia—about 94%.
The WHO South-East Asia region contributes 2% of the global total. “Malaria cases have decreased by 76%, from 23 million in 2000 to approximately five million in 2022. The occurrence of malaria cases in this region decreased by 83, consistent with the percent, from approximately 18 cases consistent with 1,000 inhabitants at threat in 2000 to approximately 3 cases consistent with 1,000 inhabitants at threat in 2022,” the report writes.
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