Malaria cases continue to dip in India, up globally

About Malaria

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites.
There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria.
Symptoms: Fever, tiredness, vomiting, headaches, seizures, chills, etc.
Diagnosis: Examination of blood films or by antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT).
Prevention: Vector control is the main way to prevent and reduce malaria transmission. Two forms of vector control – insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying – are effective in a wide range of circumstances.
Treatment: Antimalarial medications depending on the type of malaria.
Vaccine: RTS,S (trade name Mosquirix) is the world’s first malaria vaccine shown to provide partial protection against malaria in young children. In 2021, WHO recommended widespread use of the RTS,S vaccine.

Why in News?

Contrasting the global trend, India continued to witness a decline in malaria cases and deaths in 2022, according to a new WHO report.
There were around 33 lakh malaria cases and 5,000 deaths in India last year, a decrease of 30% and 34 % respectively compared with 2021.
Globally, there were 249 million cases in 2022, 5 million more than in 2021.
According to the World Malaria Report 2023, the number of malaria cases globally had plateaued over the last decade or so — down from 243 million in 2000 to 233 million in 2019 — and increased during the pandemic.
In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, there were 11 million more cases. The figures remained the same in 2021 only to increase in 2022.
The number of global malaria deaths was also higher: 608,000 deaths in 2022 compared with 576,000 in 2019.
This is due to good preventive and case management strategies and availability of effective vector control tools as well as point of care diagnostics and prompt treatment at community level.

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