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World Malaria Report 2024 released by World Health Organization (WHO)

Posted 12 Dec 2024

2 min read

Key Findings

  • Globally, Malaria cases rose to 263 million in 2023, with an incidence of 60.4 per 1000 population at risk, up from 58.6 in 2022
  • The WHO African Region accounted for 94% of global cases.
  • Findings related to India: 
    • Decline in Malaria Cases:  Reduced by 69%, from 6.4 million in 2017 to 2 million in 2023.
    • Decline in Malaria deaths: declined by 68%, from 11,100 in 2017 to 3,500 in 2023.
    • In 2024, India officially exited the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group.

About Malaria

  • It is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
  • Geographical prevalence: Mostly found in tropical countries.
  • Symptoms:  Fever, chills and headache, fatigue etc. 
  • Five Plasmodium species cause malaria in humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. knowlesi.
    • P. falciparum and P. Vivax pose the greatest threat.
  • Malaria Vaccines: RTS,S/AS01 vaccine (WHO approved first vaccine in 2021), R21/Matrix-M (WHO approved second vaccine in 2023 ). 

Initiatives

  • WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030, updated in 2021, provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries.
  • National Strategic Plan: Malaria Elimination 2023-27

Factors increasing malaria vulnerability

  • Biological vulnerability: pertains to physiological characteristics, such as sex characteristics, age, immune response and other genetic factors.
  • Environmental Factors: For instance climate variability and land-use changes exacerbate exposure.
  • Social and Economic Factors: Vulnerabilities arise from socioeconomic status, gender inequalities, disability, ethnicity, and migrant status.
  • Structural Challenges: Conflict, migration, and disruptions in healthcare access increase malaria risk.
  • Tags :
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Malaria
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