How to Wipe Out Malaria for Good

Thursday, April 26, 2018

By Erin M. Stuckey

Malaria has plagued humanity for thousands of years. Caused by a tiny parasite transported from person to person by a certain kind of mosquito, the disease poses a risk to nearly half the world’s population.

The WHO attempted to eradicate malaria in the 1960s and while it succeeded in ridding many countries of the disease, it fell short of the goal due to growing drug resistance and by failing to focus enough attention on Africa. Every year on World Malaria Day, April 25, the malaria community celebrates progress made to date and focuses on the challenges ahead. This year is especially exciting as just this past Friday, 53 Commonwealth leaders committed to halve malaria across the Commonwealth by 2023.

Since 2000, the number of malaria deaths per year has been cut by more than half. But the 2017 World Malaria Report showed a plateau in global cases for the first time since the start of the decline, and even noted increases in regions like Southern Africa. To reach the goal of global malaria eradication, the world needs to make progress in all countries.

Photo courtesy of CDC Global.

Source: TIME (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Health Care
Tags
infectious diseases, public health