World Malaria Day: Will Coronavirus Revive or Divert India’s Success Story on Malaria?

On December 4, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the World Malaria Report 2019, a comprehensive analysis of the world malaria situation. The report shows that India has one of the only success stories of 11 countries facing the world’s largest malaria burden, with a significant 28% reduction in malaria cases between 2017 and 2018. Showed that there is

By the time the WHO report was published, mysterious viruses had begun to infect people in Hubei, China. By December 15, it was confirmed to be a new coronavirus, and at a later stage it was reported that nearly 30 people were ill due to a new virus named SARS-CoV-2. Today, the illness caused by the virus, COVID-19, has infected more than 250,000 people worldwide and killed 175,000 within four months.

India’s success in fighting malaria

Only 10 years ago, India reported more than 30,000 deaths each year and reported more than 2 cases of malaria. Today, the number of cases in the world continues to exceed Rs. 2 billion, killing 43,000 people each year, while the number is sharply declining in India. In 2018, the country witnessed an estimated 67 Lark malaria cases and 9,620 deaths. This is the cause of malaria in 3% and 2% of all malaria cases.

The striking progress made in fighting malaria is the result of targeted campaigns involving government, the private sector, civil society and the public. In 2018-19 alone, 52,744 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centers were approved and 17,149 were put into operation. A total of 1.81 healthcare workers, including ASHA, MPHW, staff nurses and PHC-MO, were trained during the year on noncommunicable diseases such as malaria.

Dr. Sanjeev Guy Quad, Director of Malaria No More India Country, said: Malaria No More is a non-profit organization working to support India’s goal of ending malaria by 2030.

Orissa, India’s worst-affected state, reduced malaria cases by more than 80% between 2016 and 2018. Malaria Nomore, working with state and central governments, is replicating Orissa’s success across the country. Recently, Malaria No More partnered with IBM’s The Weather Company and other partners to leverage weather data to better combat mosquito-borne diseases worldwide.

In 2019, the Government of India raised more than 25% to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program. With the cooperation of government health institutions, private organizations, non-profit organizations and civic groups, we aim to realize the dream of “malaria free India” in the near future.

Fight malaria in a pandemic

Basically, COVID-19 and malaria are caused by two completely different sets of parasites. SARS-CoV-2 causes the former, while a protozoa called malaria parasite causes the latter. COVID-19 spreads through direct contact with respiratory droplets and malaria parasites spread through the bites of female Anopheles mosquitoes, resulting in very different modes of infection. However, malaria disease shares the same symptoms as COVID-19. Fever, headache, body pain, weakness.

Based on the new analysis released earlier this week, WHO warned We confirm that malaria deaths could nearly double this year in sub-Saharan Africa if anti-malarial campaigns were halted due to blockades associated with COVID-19 and drug supplies were disrupted. did.

Even in India, this blockade limits the movement of authorized social health activists (ASHA) to reach out to India’s most remote areas and provide important early detection and treatment at the community level. Over a month of lockdown, the production and supply of essential malaria products such as long-term insecticide nets, rapid diagnostic tests, and antimalarial drugs such as hydroxychloroquine was a hit. The WHO warning clearly emphasizes these issues and calls on countries to act swiftly so as not to lose the benefits of saving lives from malaria over the last two decades.

“Ensuring access to core malaria prevention measures is an important strategy to reduce the burden on the healthcare system. These include vector control measures such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spray, and pregnant women. And chemoprevention in young children. The measures may reduce the burden on healthcare systems associated with COVID-19, such as putative malaria treatment and high-dose medications, “WHO said.

Based on Indian success stories

The COVID-19 pandemic poses considerable risk, but it also offers the opportunity to win the battle against malaria. Grassroots disease surveillance programs targeting novel coronaviruses may also include malaria-related services, and such an approach could provide collateral benefits for both deadly diseases There is a possibility. At the same time, the damage caused by COVID-19 can be magnified several times if its response compromises life-saving services for other diseases.

The WHO also recommends certain exceptional measures, such as putative treatment and bolus dosing in some vulnerable locations. These methods treat sensitive populations with or without symptoms. However, the safety of health care workers should be ensured while taking such measures.

The time has come to a real test for countries with the burden of malaria. It’s a test of whether you can act now based on decades of hard work and success, or cancel it for myopia.

I have hope! In the most vulnerable states like Odisha, the malaria program is ready to resume once the blockade is lifted. “The insecticide treated mosquito nets have already been distributed and everything is ready to strengthen antimalarial activity in states like Odisha before the monsoon. Immediately after the lockdown was released, If we could start these activities before the monsoon rains in early June, we would be able to sustain India’s progress against malaria, “said Dr. Gaikwad.

Overall, experts have the right plans to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic save lives, strengthen health systems to combat malaria and other infectious diseases, and move to already problematic health systems. I believe it will reduce the burden on you. India is far from malaria, as there are several new barriers as we move forward, but it remains an achievable dream. World Malaria Day 2020 is here to remind us not to lose sight of this ultimate goal.

(No input from malaria)

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