World Malaria Day: A Vow to #EndMalaria

World Malaria Day is an annual event conducted on April 25th to raise awareness of the global fight to manage and eradicate malaria. World Malaria Day, which was first commemorated in 2008, grew out of Africa Malaria Day, which had been observed by African nations since 2001. The commemoration provided an opportunity to examine progress toward malaria control and mortality reduction goals in African countries. It was proposed in 2007 at the 60th World Health Assembly (a meeting sponsored by the World Health Organization [WHO]) that Africa Malaria Day be changed to World Malaria Day to recognise the presence of malaria in countries around the world and to raise awareness about the global fight against the disease.

Theme of World Malaria Day

 “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”

Malaria is a disease that affects over 100 nations and kills over 900,000 people each year. Malaria, on the other hand, can be avoided with the use of drugs and other preventative measures like insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor insecticide spraying. On the first World Malaria Day, Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, underlined the importance of increasing the availability of bed nets, medications, public health facilities, and trained health professionals to people in malaria-affected areas around the world. 

World Malaria Day allows health organizations and scientists to share information about the disease and current research efforts with the public. It also allows international agencies and research institutes to discuss the progress of the GMAP. Public educational initiatives, charity events, and other community activities are used to achieve this. 

Malaria In Pakistan

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 1 million microscopically positive malaria cases were reported in the Eastern Mediterranean region in 2010, with Pakistan accounting for 22% of the cases.

Pakistan's population is 180 million people, with 177 million of them at risk of malaria. Every year, 3.5 million malaria cases are suspected or confirmed.

Malaria impacts poor people significantly more than any other public health concern in emerging countries. Monitoring the presence of malaria is critical for the success of national malaria control programmes in resource-constrained situations.

Transmission and Vector

Malaria transmission in Pakistan is often unstable, with peak transmission occurring after the monsoon season, from August to November. Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles stephensi are the most common vector species, and both are still vulnerable to the pesticides now in use. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the causative organisms that are widely spread. Vivax malaria continues to lead transmission, though Balochistan and Sindh have seen a large increase in the more fatal variant falciparum. Drug resistance (chloroquine and Fansidar resistance) is widespread throughout the country, with particularly high levels in the western border areas.

Key Factors

There are several key factors that together become the cause of the spread of malaria, these include, unpredictable transmission patterns, low immune status of the population in lowest endemicity areas, poor socioeconomic conditions, mass population movements within the country and across international borders with Iran and Afghanistan, natural disasters such as floods and heavy rainfall in a few areas, and lack of access to quality-assured care at the most peripheral health settings.

Diagnosis of Malaria

Malaria control is one of the greatest challenges in Pakistan.

As a result, it is critical to improve the accuracy of malaria diagnostic techniques, particularly in determining species-specific and low parasitemia, as well as to provide more expert assistance with diagnostic method procurement selections.

Malaria can be diagnosed with a blood smear test. It can also assist a doctor in determining the type of malaria parasite you have and the number of parasites in your bloodstream. This can assist in making treatment selections.

If the first blood smear does not reveal malaria, your doctor may prescribe additional tests every 12 to 24 hours.

Dr Essa Laboratory & Diagnostic Centre have professional phlebotomists and staff that perform blood tests with great care and responsibility. To get your tests done by a diligent team at Dr Essa Lab, book online, visit your nearest branch or call at UAN: (021)-111-786-986.

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