World Mosquito Day (WMD) is annually observed across the globe on 20th August to commemorate the discovery made by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.
- Aim: To raise awareness about the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases, educate people on mosquito control and prevention methods, and highlight ongoing research and efforts to combat mosquito-related illnesses.
Note: On 20 August 1997, a Commemorative postage stamp of Sir Ronald Ross was issued by the Government of India (GoI) on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Plasmodium oocytes in mosquitoes.
Significance:
Since 1930, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in London, UK, has been organising a commemorative event annually on 20 August to pay tribute to Sir Ronald Ross.
Discovery of Malaria:
i.On 20 August 1897, Sir Ronald Ross discovered the malaria parasite at a certain stage of life in the stomach of a certain species of female Anopheles mosquito.
- The discovery was made in Secunderabad (now in Telangana, India).
ii.Later, he wrote a paper, ‘On some peculiar pigmented cells found in two mosquitoes fed on malarial blood.’ It was published in the 18th of December 1897, issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
iii.In 1902 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine “for his work on malaria, by which he showed how it enters the organism and thereby laid the foundation for successful research on this disease and methods of combating it.
- He was the 1st Briton to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
About Ronald Ross:
i.Ronald Ross was born on 13 May 1857, in Almora, India (now in Almora, Uttarakhand, India).
ii.He published mathematical models of malaria disease transmission, and the greatest were his mathematical models on epidemiology.
iii.In 1901, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (United Kingdom (UK)) and also a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (UK), of which he became Vice President from 1911 to 1913.
iv.He was honoured with several prestigious awards including a knighthood in 1911.
v.In 1926, the Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases was opened on Putney Heath, London (UK), by the Prince of Wales as a memorial to and in recognition of Ross’ work.
vi.He was Director-in-Chief of the Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases from 1926 until he died in 1932.
About Malaria:
Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.
- i=5 parasite species cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species, Plasmodium falciparum, and Plasmodium vivax, pose the greatest threat.
Key Facts:
i.Mosquito-borne diseases kill over 1 million people and infect up to 700 million each year, almost 1 in 10 people.
ii.Dengue cases have reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with over 11 million cases reported across 80 countries.
iii.Chikungunya has infected more than 350,000 people. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported nearly 7,000 Zika cases by the end of May 2024.
Impacts in India:
i.India has reported a decline in major vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis, haathipaon) and leishmaniasis (kala-azar), as per the data shared by the National Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).
ii.The NCVBDC administers an umbrella programme National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) to prevent and control vector-borne diseases in India.
iii.Under this, there are three diseases, Malaria, Filaria and Kala-Azar, that are under an elimination programme.
- While Malaria is targeted for elimination by 2030, the target for Lymphatic Filariasis is 2030. Kala Azar was to be eliminated by 2023.
WHO and Malaria:
The World Health Organization (WHO) observes World Malaria Day (WMD) on April 25th every year to recognise global efforts to control malaria and to raise awareness about the disease.
- The theme of WMD 2024 was, “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.”
