New data from the World malaria report 2018 shows that progress in the global malaria response has leveled off and, in some countries, the disease is on the rise. To get the response back on track, the WHO Director-General has called for an aggressive new approach that will jumpstart progress against malaria. \u201cHigh burden to high impact\u201d is a country-led approach that will be supported by WHO, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and other partners.<\/p>\n
The attainment of the targets of the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016\u20132030 \u2013 or the failure to do so \u2013 will define whether the high-impact approach succeeds in achieving its most pressing goal: getting the response back on track, and then making further gains to ensure that the 2030 goals are met.<\/p>\n
Malaria\u00a0is a\u00a0mosquito-borne infectious disease<\/a>\u00a0that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes\u00a0symptoms<\/a>\u00a0that typically include\u00a0fever<\/a>,\u00a0tiredness<\/a>,\u00a0vomiting<\/a>, and\u00a0headaches<\/a>. In severe cases, it can cause\u00a0jaundice<\/a>,\u00a0seizures<\/a>,\u00a0coma<\/a>, or\u00a0death<\/a>. Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten by an infected\u00a0mosquito<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since the turn of the century, the global fight against malaria has been marked by a steady series of advances resulting in millions of cases averted and millions of lives saved. The effort represents one of the public health\u2019s greatest triumphs: mortality caused by the disease plummeted by nearly 60%.<\/p>\n But that downward trend has come to an end. In 2017, WHO reported that the number of malaria cases had levelled off. Now, for a second consecutive year, the battle \u2013 on a global scale \u2013 has failed to make new gains; and in some places, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, it has lost ground.<\/p>\n According to the World malaria report 2018, there were 219 million cases of the disease in 2017, compared to 217 million the year before. Of particular concern is the report\u2019s finding that, among the 10 highest-burden African countries, there were 3.5 million more cases in 2017 over the previous year (See Graph \u201cMalaria cases in the 10 highest-burden countries in Africa, 2010\u20132017\u201d).<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a massive wake-up call that has refocused attention on the countries hardest hit by malaria,\u201d says Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. The numbers, he notes, underscore the need for an immediate change in approach against a disease that is both preventable and curable.<\/p>\n Every two minutes, a child dies of malaria. In 2017, the estimated global tally of malaria deaths stood at 435 000, a similar number to the previous year. Beyond the loss of life, the damage inflicted by malaria runs deep.<\/p>\n \u201cMalaria disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including women and children, particularly from the poorest households,\u201d says Dr Winnie MpanjuShumbusho, Board Chair of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. \u201cThe high burden of malaria often means that farmers stay off their fields, children miss school, workers stay at home or spend much time and resources going to clinics,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"