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World Malaria Day 2023: “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”

  • Writer: Polelo Mawela
    Polelo Mawela
  • Apr 25, 2023
  • 5 min read


World Malaria Day was instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO) member states at the World Health assembly in 2007. The aim of the day was to highlight the need for sustained investment and political commitment for malaria prevention and control (WHO, 2023). Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by blood parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which are transmitted via the bites of infected female mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites first multiply in the liver, and then infect the red blood cells (NICD, 2023).

Globally, malaria is one of the six major causes of deaths from communicable diseases. 90% of the world’s approximately 440 000 annual malaria deaths occur in Africa (NICD, 2023). The African region continues to shoulder the heaviest burden of the disease – accounting, in 2021, for an estimated 95% of all malaria cases (234 million) and 96% of all deaths (593 000). Nearly 80% of malaria deaths in the African Region were among children under the age of 5 (World Malaria Report, 2022). At least 3.2 billion of the world’s people are still at risk of contracting malaria, and estimated 350-500 million clinical malaria cases occur annually. Malaria constitutes a major barrier to social and economic development in the region (Department of Health, 2023)


Malaria can affect everyone, but those most at risk are:

· Children under 5.

· Pregnant women.

· People living in emergency situations.

· People living with HIV/AIDS. (Western Cape government, 2023)


In 2023 the theme for World Malaria day is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”, with a focus on the third “i”, implement (WHO, 2023). At least 3.2 billion of the world’s people are still at risk of contracting malaria, and an estimated 350-500 million clinical malaria cases occur annually (WHO, 2023).

In the last few years, (2015-2019) South Africa has had between about 10 000 and 30 000 notified cases of malaria per year (NICD, 2023). In South Africa, Malaria is confined to only three provinces –Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). However, the disease continues to pose a serious public health threats nationwide ( Njau et al., 2021). ). Since 2010, South Africa has made significant strides in combatting the burden of malaria from within its borders (Njau, et al., 2021). However, during the last two decades, South Africa experienced at least two major malaria outbreaks that resulted in hundreds of hospital admissions and deaths. The first outbreak which was mainly concentrated in KwaZulu-Natal province occurred in early 2000 where over 60,000 cases were recorded (Maharaj et al., 2012). The most recent malaria outbreak was reported in 2017, when over 28,000 cases were recorded in South Africa with Limpopo province accounting for majority of new malaria transmissions (Ravhulani et al., 2017). In spite of recently reported upsurges in malaria cases in some districts, South Africa is steadily progressing towards malaria elimination (NICD, 2023).

According to WHO’s World malaria report 2022, as far as the investment that has been made in fighting malaria, the funding gap between the amount invested in the global malaria response (US$ 3.5 billion) and the resources needed (US$ 7.3 billion) has widened, particularly over the past 3 years – increasing from a shortfall of US$ 2.6 billion in 2019 to US$ 3.5 billion in 2020 and US$ 3.8 billion in 2021. Challenges in expanding access to malaria services have been compounded, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, by the COVID-19 pandemic, converging humanitarian crises, restricted funding, weak surveillance systems, and declines in the effectiveness of core malaria-fighting tools (WHO, 2023).

With regards to innovation, the development and massive roll-out of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been the backbone of the malaria response since 2000 (WHO, 2023). Continued investment in the development and deployment of next-generation tools will be key to achieving the 2030 global malaria targets. In the vector control space, there are 28 new products in the R&D pipeline. Tools under evaluation include, for example, new types of insecticide-treated nets, targeted baits that attract mosquitoes, spatial repellents, lethal house lures (eaves tubes) and genetic engineering of mosquitoes. Should these tools demonstrate efficacy in controlling the disease, WHO will develop new policy recommendations or amend existing ones to support their deployment in malaria-affected countries (WHO,2023).

According to the latest World malaria report, countries have made some progress in expanding access to malaria services for most-at-risk populations through implementation of WHO strategies (WHO, 2023). However, too many people at high risk of malaria are still missing out on the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease. In addition to addressing the technical challenges facing implementation, there is a critical need to address the barriers people face in accessing quality health services. Investments in well-functioning health systems, built on a foundation of primary health care, can address people’s health needs close to where they live and work while, at the same time, reducing the cost of care and enhancing equity.

Malaria-affected countries and partners are strongly encouraged to deliver the WHO-recommended tools and strategies that are available now for all at risk of malaria – and particularly those most vulnerable.

With regards to strides made in the strides to eliminate Malaria the following has been achieved;


  • In 2021, nearly 45 million children were reached with seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in 15 African countries, a major increase from 33.4 million in 2020 and about 22 million in 2019. The preventive therapy is recommended for children living in areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission in Africa.

  • Based on household surveys, the proportion of febrile children in sub-Saharan Africa who were taken to a health provider and tested for malaria increased considerably between the periods 2005–2011 and 2015–2021, rising from a median of about 30% to 57%.

  • To date, more than 1.3 million children have been reached with at least 1 dose of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in 3 African countries: Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. A further 29 countries in Africa have expressed interest in adopting the malaria vaccine as part of their national malaria control strategies. The vaccine was recommended by WHO in October 2021 to prevent malaria among young children living in regions with moderate-to-high falciparum malaria transmission.

In line with this years’ theme for World Malaria day, which is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement” zero malaria is possible as the strides taken have shown. Malaria-affected countries and partners are strongly encouraged to deliver the WHO-recommended tools and strategies that are available now for all at risk of malaria – and particularly those most vulnerable.

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Writer: Hlengiwe Selowa



Reference

Department of Health, South Africa. (2023). Malaria Introduction. https://www.health.gov.za/malaria/

Maharaj, R., Morris, N., Seocharan, I., Kruger, P., Moonasar, D., Mabuza, A., ... & Raman, J. (2012). The feasibility of malaria elimination in South Africa. Malaria Journal, 11(1), 1-10.

National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).(2023). NICD Disease Index:Malaria. https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/malaria

Njau, J., Silal, S. P., Kollipara, A., Fox, K., Balawanth, R., Yuen, A., White L.J., Moya, M., Pillay, Y., & Moonasar, D. (2021). Investment case for malaria elimination in South Africa: a financing model for resource mobilization to accelerate regional malaria elimination. Malaria Journal, 20, 1-16.

Ravhuhali KG, Ramalwa N, Reddy C. Malaria outbreak investigation Mopani and Vhembe districts, Limpopo province, South Africa, May 2017. Pan Afr Med J. 2017;3:1

Western Cape Government. (2023). Key facts about Malaria. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/key-facts-about-malaria





 
 
 

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