WHO WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2020

WHO WORLD MALARIA REPORT 2020

Context

World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 released by the World Health Organization.

Details about the Report

• India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018.
• The Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) reduced by 27.6% in 2018 compared to 2017 and by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018. India has sustained API less than one since year 2012.
• India has also contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide, from approximately 20 million to about 6 million.
• The percentage drop in the malaria cases was 71.8% and deaths was 73.9% between 2000 to 2019.
• Malaria Elimination efforts were initiated in the country in 2015 and were intensified after the launch of the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) in 2016 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22) was launched by the Health Ministry in July 2017 which laid down strategies for the next five years.
• WHO has initiated the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) initiative in 11 high malaria burden countries, including India.
• Implementation of “High Burden to High Impact (HBHI)” initiative has been started in four states i.e. West Bengal and Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors."
• There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.