On December 4, 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report titled “World malaria report 2019”. The report was on Malarial cases and steps taken regarding the disease globally. The report in detail are as follows,
Report on India:
i.Malaria reduction: As per the report, India was one of the only two countries of the 11 high- burden- to- high -impact (HBHI) countries that achieved a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in 2018 compared to previous year (2017). Accordingly, India reported 2.6million fewer cases with 28% reduction in malaria cases. The country next to India was Uganda. It reported 1.5million fewer cases.
ii.India-only non-African country in top 11: The malarial reduction cases made India, a country that is no more with the world’s 4th highest malaria burden. But still, it was also the only non-African country among the top 11 countries with the most malaria globally. 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India carried almost 85% of the global malaria burden.
iii.Deaths due to malaria: As per the report, 228 million cases and 4.05 lakh deaths were reported in 2018 globally, concentrated mainly in Africa and India. This represented 3 million fewer cases and 11,000 fewer deaths compared with 2017. These overall represented 30% fewer cases and 60% fewer deaths in 2018.
iv.State report: In India, only 7 out of 29 States and seven UTs (state and UTs before Jammu & Kashmir and Leh formation as two new UTs) accounted for 90% of the estimated cases in 2018
General Report:
i.malaria case incidence: The malaria case incidence currently is 57 cases per 1000 population at risk. The 2020 milestone to reduce the malarial risk can be achieved only if the malarial case incidence is brought down by 45 per 1000 population at risk in 2018.
ii.Region Wise report: Most malaria cases in 2018 were in the WHO African Region (213 million or 93%), followed by the WHO South-East Asia Region with 3.4% of the cases and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region with 2.1% cases. Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent malaria parasite in the WHO African Region (90%) and is 50% in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
iii.Malarial deaths: WHO African Region accounted for 94% of all malaria deaths in 2018.
iv.As per WHO, with the current trajectory, globally, the 2020 GTS (Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030) milestones for morbidity will not be achieved and unless there is accelerated change, 2025 and 2030 milestones to reduce malaria will not be achieved. world malaria report 2019.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Founded- 7 April 1948.
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland.
Director General- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
