World Malaria Day

In Context

• Recently, the World Malaria Day was observed by the World Health Organisation to spread awareness about the illness. 

About World Malaria Day

• Every year, 25^th April is observed as World Malaria Day.
• Theme of 2022 : ‘Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives’. 
•  History:
  • In Africa, governments have been observing Malaria Day since 2001. However, it was only in 2007, during the 60th session of the World Health Organisation, that it was proposed to recognise Africa Malaria Day as World Malaria Day and to recognise the impact of the disease worldwide. The first World Malaria Day was held in 2008.
• Significance:
  • The day is celebrated and observed to raise awareness about this life-threatening disease and to encourage people to come together in order to prevent it. 
  • The day also allows new donors to join the fight against malaria by organising fundraisers for the initiative.
  •  It also aims to bring research and educational institutions to communicate any scientific advancements made regarding the disease.

About Malaria

• It is a preventable and treatable disease that continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world. 
  • In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and 627 000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries. 
  • More than two thirds of deaths were among children under the age of 5 living in the WHO African Region.
• Cause: It is a life threatening disease caused by plasmodium parasites.
• Transmission: The parasites spread through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
  • In the human body, parasites initially multiply in liver cells and then attack the Red Blood Cells (RBCs).
  • There are 5 parasite species that cause Malaria in humans and 2 of these species (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax) pose the greatest threat.

Image Courtesy: Embibe

• Distribution: It is predominantly found in the tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, South America and Asia.
• Symptoms: Fever and flu-like illness, including chills, headache, muscle ache and fatigue.
• Prevention and Cure
  • It is preventable as well as curable.
  • Vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission.
  • Antimalarial medicines are used to prevent malaria e.g. Chemoprophylaxis, Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT).
• Vaccine
  • In October 2021, WHO recommended the broad use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine for young children living in areas with moderate and high malaria transmission. 

• Initiatives Taken by India
  • Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) established Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA) India which is a conglomeration of partners working on Malaria control.
  • India is also among the 18 Global leaders who endorsed the Malaria Elimination roadmap of Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance at the East Asia Summit held in Malaysia in 2015.
    • It was then that the alliance leadership set the goal of ensuring that the Region becomes free of malaria by 2030.
    • In 2017, India launched its 5-year National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-2022) that shifted focus from Malaria control to elimination and provided a roadmap to end malaria in 571 districts out of India’s 678 districts by 2022.

Source:IE