WORLD MALARIA DAY: NIGERIA HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF MALARIA DEATHS
Read Time:1 Minute, 53 Second
Michael Olaleye
According to the 2018 World Malaria Report, the global response to malaria has stalled and we’re at risk of losing some of the gains made in the last two decades.
Dr Tedros Adhum, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), is worried about our ability to achieve two critical 2020 milestones of the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016- 2030; reducing case incidence and death rates by at least 40% from the 2015 levels.
The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 435 000 in 2017, and sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 93% (404,550) of the global malaria deaths. Of all burdened countries, Nigeria has the highest percentage, bearing 19 percent (82,650) of malaria deaths worldwide. Children under five years old are the most vulnerable, accounting for 61 percent (266 000) of the global malaria deaths. This is sad and unacceptable!
Malaria is also bad for business. Malaria is responsible for decreased productivity, employee absenteeism, and increased health care spending. It’s not only businesses that lose. Families lose and governments lose too.
Despite a leveling off in progress since 2015, the global malaria response is in a much better place than it was at the start of the 21st century. Although Africa accounted for 93 percent of the global malaria deaths in 2017, we should also note that malaria interventions and investments resulted in 172,000 fewer malaria deaths globally, and 88% of these fewer cases in Africa.Since 2006, Health’s Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA) has served as a platform, to channel the collective force of the private sector in driving partnerships that are having impact on malaria control and elimination in Africa.
Building on the theme of this year’s World Malaria Day – Zero Malaria Starts With Me CAMA members and leadership are calling on all stakeholders in the global health community to redouble efforts, resources, and commitment to saving millions more lives, and help communities and economies to thrive by ending malaria.
A forward thrust in malaria control and elimination is possible through evolved strategies, new tools, increased funding, investment in robust health system that delivers quality healthcare and sustainable partnerships across private and public sector organizations. Let us do this together!
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