WORLD MALARIA DAY 2023 | QUIZ

World Malaria Day 2023 is marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. Within this theme, WHO will focus on the third “i” – implement – and notably the critical importance of reaching marginalized populations with the tools and strategies that are available today.

Key facts

• In 2021, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria.
• That year, there were an estimated 247 million cases of malaria worldwide.
• The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 619 000 in 2021.
• The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2021, the Region was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths. Children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the Region.

Overview

• Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable.
• Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.
• Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk of severe infection. 
• Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse.
• Malaria mostly spreads to people through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria.  The first symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses, and difficulty to recognize as malaria. Left untreated, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
• There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa.  The other malaria species which can infect humans are P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi.

WHO response

The WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030, updated in 2021, 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.

The strategy sets ambitious but achievable global targets, including:

• reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90% by 2030
• reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030
• eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030
• preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.

Guided by this strategy, the Global Malaria Programme coordinates the WHO’s global efforts to control and eliminate malaria by:

• playing a leadership role in malaria, effectively supporting member states and rallying partners to reach Universal Health Coverage and achieve goals and targets of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria;
• shaping the research agenda and promoting the generation of evidence to support global guidance for new tools and strategies to achieve impact;
• developing ethical and evidence based global guidance on malaria with effective dissemination to support adoption and implementation by national malaria programmes and other relevant stakeholders; and
• monitoring and responding to global malaria trends and threats.