World Malaria Report 2023

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report titled ‘World Malaria Report 2023’.

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GS II: Health

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The Plasmodium parasite is primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
These Anopheles mosquitoes are often referred to as “night-biting” mosquitoes because they are more active and likely to bite between dusk and dawn.

While there are many types of Plasmodium parasites, only five of them cause malaria in humans:

Plasmodium falciparum: Predominant in Africa, responsible for most malaria-related deaths worldwide.
Plasmodium vivax: Mainly found in Asia and South America, causing milder symptoms but capable of remaining dormant in the liver, leading to relapses.
Plasmodium ovale: Less common, usually found in West Africa, can stay in the liver for several years without causing symptoms.
Plasmodium malariae: Rare and primarily found in Africa.
Plasmodium knowlesi: Extremely rare, found in parts of Southeast Asia.

When an infected mosquito bites a person, the Plasmodium parasite enters the bloodstream and eventually travels to the liver.
The infection develops in the liver, and then the parasites re-enter the bloodstream and invade red blood cells (RBCs).
Within RBCs, the parasites grow and multiply. Periodically, the infected RBCs burst, releasing more parasites into the bloodstream.
If another mosquito bites a person already infected with malaria, it can become infected and subsequently spread the parasite to other individuals.
Notably, malaria does not transmit directly from person to person. It relies on the mosquito vector for transmission between humans.

Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) releases the World Malaria Report, offering a comprehensive and up-to-date evaluation of global trends in malaria control and elimination efforts.

Despite advancements in providing insecticide-treated nets and antimalarial medicines, the report highlights an alarming increase in malaria cases.
In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases worldwide, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of 233 million recorded in 2019.

A notable addition to this year’s report is a dedicated chapter addressing the intersection of climate change and malaria.
Climate variables like temperature, humidity, and rainfall can affect the behavior and survival of malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes.
Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, can directly impact malaria transmission and disease burden.
An example is the five-fold increase in malaria cases in Pakistan in 2022 due to catastrophic flooding.

Beyond climate change, challenges like conflict, humanitarian crises, resource limitations, and issues like drug and insecticide resistance continue to hinder progress in malaria control.

The report highlights positive achievements, including the phased introduction of the first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01, in three African countries.
In October 2023, WHO recommended a second safe and effective malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, further enhancing malaria prevention efforts.
Availability of two vaccines is expected to improve supply and enable widespread deployment in Africa.
Many countries with a low malaria burden have made progress toward malaria elimination. In 2022, 34 countries reported fewer than 1000 cases, compared to only 13 in 2000.

The World Malaria Report indicates that India was responsible for a significant portion of malaria cases in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region in 2022, accounting for 66% of the cases.
Furthermore, India, along with Indonesia, accounted for approximately 94% of all malaria-related deaths in the same region in the preceding year.
The report highlights that nearly 46% of all cases in the region were attributed to Plasmodium vivax, a protozoal parasite causing malaria in humans.

India has made substantial strides in malaria control efforts. Since the year 2000, the country has successfully reduced malaria cases by over 50% and decreased malaria-related deaths by more than 66%.
In 2016, India introduced its inaugural National Framework for Malaria Elimination (2016-2030), with a vision to achieve a malaria-free country by 2027 and complete elimination by 2030.
In 2019, the Government of India took additional measures by increasing funding for the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme by more than 25%. India also enhanced its support as a donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, further reinforcing its commitment to combat malaria.

-Source: The Hindu