Malaria gains at risk from COVID-19 pandemic: WHO - Aljazeera.com

Funding shortfalls and disruptions to treatment in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic risk tens of thousands more lives being lost to malaria, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its annual report on the mosquito-borne disease on Monday.

The WHO’s latest world report on malaria, which is preventable and treatable and mainly affects countries in Africa, shows progress against the disease had already slowed when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged earlier this year.

The WHO says distribution of nets and other measures to prevent people contracting malaria have continued even with COVID-19, but the pandemic has made it more difficult for people to access treatment [File: Yanick Folly/AFP]In 2019, there were 229 million cases of malaria worldwide, an annual figure that has remained virtually unchanged over the past four years.

The WHO warns the world will miss targets on malaria incidence and deaths in 2020 [File:  AFP]As well as urging an increase in spending, the WHO notes that its “high burden to high impact” (HBHI) response, which began in 2018, could help reignite progress.