The WHO warns against restricting life-saving measures such as malaria prevention in the current COVID-19 crisis. (Photo: Laura McCarty for Swiss Malaria Group)
The WHO warns against restricting life-saving measures such as malaria prevention in the current COVID-19 crisis. (Photo: Laura McCarty for Swiss Malaria Group) - This year's World Malaria Day is marked by major advances in the fight against malaria, with more than 7 million lives saved and over 1 billion cases prevented in the last two decades. At the same time, COVID-19 threatens this progress and immediate action is required to save lives. According to a model calculation, an increase of 105,000 malaria deaths, mainly children, is predicted due to COVID-19. Current investments in the fight against malaria save more than 600,000 lives and prevent 100 million cases per year. The overburdening of health systems caused by COVID-19 poses the risk of a massive increase in malaria infections and deaths. This was already the case during the Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016 in West Africa when mortality from prevalent diseases rose rapidly: malaria by 50%, HIV by 15%, tuberculosis by 60% and maternal mortality by 75%.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
