Beijing, 25 Apr (Xinhua) -- April 25 is World Malaria Day. The World Health Organization(s) has set this year's theme "Reducing the Burden of Malaria Disease, Saving Lives with Innovation", calling for investment and innovation to accelerate the global fight against malaria through investment and innovation in the search for new vector control methods, diagnostics and antimalarial drugs.
On 13 November 2019, in Sana'a, Yemen, a child infected with malaria was treated in a hospital. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Mohammed)
Malaria is an acute infectious disease caused by the malaria parasite that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to WHO, a total of 5 species of malaria parasites cause malaria in humans, of which Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most harmful. The first symptoms of malaria, such as fever, headache, chills, etc., usually appear 10 to 15 days after the bite. If left untreated, malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum can develop into a serious disease within 24 hours and even lead to death.
As a major global infectious disease, malaria has always threatened human health. According to WHO, there will be an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2020, and the number of malaria deaths is estimated at 627 000. Of the six regions in the world classified by WHO, africa is the most affected by malaria, accounting for 95% of the global total of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths in 2020. It is estimated that children under 5 years of age account for 80% of all malaria deaths in the region.
Malaria is actually a preventable and treatable disease. Over the past 20 years, effective vector control and the use of prophylactic antimalarial drugs have had a significant impact on reducing the global burden of the disease. Since October 2021, WHO has also recommended that children in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas at medium and high risk of malaria transmission be widely ovulated against the world's first malaria vaccine, RTS,S.
In addition, early diagnosis and treatment of malaria can reduce transmission and prevent deaths. WHO says the best treatment available is artemisinin-based combination therapies. According to incomplete WHO statistics, artemisinin has saved millions of lives worldwide and treated hundreds of millions of patients each year.
On April 13, 2020, the staff of an artemisinin refining and processing enterprise in Rong'an, Guangxi Province, inspected the growth status of artemisia annua seedlings in the laboratory. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cui Bowen
In the long-term battle with malaria, China has discovered and extracted artemisinin from Chinese herbal medicine, accumulating and summarizing many good experiences and practices. On 30 June 2021, WHO awarded China a national malaria elimination certification, praising China's remarkable achievement from reporting about 30 million malaria cases a year in the 1940s and after 70 years of tireless efforts to the current total elimination of malaria.
Although there are already many tools for malaria control, problems such as resistance of the parasite to antimalarial drugs are threatening the gains made by humans in the fight against malaria. On this year's World Malaria Day, WHO places special emphasis on investment and innovation, hoping to develop new vector control methods, diagnostics, antimalarial drugs and other tools as soon as possible.
Global progress in reducing the malaria burden has slowed or stalled in recent years, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, WHO said. Urgent and concerted action is needed to put the world back on track to meet the 2030 targets of the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria.
In order to achieve the vision of a malaria-free world, WHO's Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 proposes that by 2030 the world should strive to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality by at least 90% from 2015 levels.