Number Of Deaths From Malaria May Rise To 769,000 – WHO Warns

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the number of deaths caused by malaria in sub-Saharan Africa could rise to 769,000, as efforts to tackle the disease has been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Thursday, the region had registered more than 26,000 cases of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. Some 7,000 people have so far recovered, while almost 1,250 have died.

At a media briefing, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti urged all countries to ensure that essential malaria prevention work continues during the coronavirus pandemic.

“A recent analysis has found that if insecticide-treated bed net distribution stops, and case management reduces, malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could double in comparison to 2018,” Moeti said on Thursday.

The WHO said that if the focus on slowing the spread of the new coronavirus leads to a 75 percent reduction in access to anti-malaria medicines, deaths could double to 769,000. Such a scenario would have devastating consequences for young children, with those under five making up more than two-thirds of all malaria deaths in 2018.

The global health agency called on countries in sub-Saharan Africa – where nearly 95 percent of all the world’s malaria cases and deaths occur – to distribute malaria prevention and treatment tools now, before they become overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases