Malaria

Why in news?

• In a historic move, the World Health Organization (WHO) on 6^th October, 2021 endorsed the first anti-malarial vaccine.

About Malaria:

• Malaria is a disease caused by single-celled microorganisms of the Plasmodium group.
• The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors." The mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito's saliva into a person's blood. The parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce.
• There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
• World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends DDT as one of the efficient Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) chemicals to curb malaria mosquito menace.
• DDT is widely used by Southern African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, etc and India.

Who is at risk?

• In 2019, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. Most malaria cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa

Disease burden:

• As per the Global Malaria Report 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019 an estimated 229 million malaria cases and 409,000 deaths in 87 malaria-endemic countries are recorded, with a large concentration of the total malaria burden (94%) in Africa.
• India shared 2% of the total global malaria cases in 2019.

WHO response

• WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030:
  • It provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries.
  • It is intended to guide and support regional and country programmes as they work towards malaria control and elimination.
• WHO Global Malaria Programme
  • It coordinates WHO's global efforts to control and eliminate malaria by setting, communicating and promoting the adoption of evidence-based norms, developing approaches for capacity building, surveillance etc.

Vaccine:

• WHO recommends the widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission
• RTS,S was first authorised in 2015 by the European Medicines Agency for use in Africa in infants and children.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘Malaria’, consider the following statements:

1. Malaria is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by virus

2. Vaccination is not available for this disease

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer