MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2020) The coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruptions in antimalarial treatment initiatives in the sub-Saharan Africa, increasing the likelihood of additional fatalities from malaria, the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Malaria Report said on Friday.
According to the WHO, the efforts to tackle malaria have paid off over the last two decades, with the death toll decreasing from 736,000 in 2000 to 409,000 in 2019, and the total number of infections declining from 238 million to 229 million.
"The analysis suggests that even if malaria prevention campaigns are completed in 2020 as planned, disruptions [caused by COVID-19 pandemic] to access to effective antimalarial treatment could lead to considerable loss of life," the report read.
Death toll from Malaria in sub-Saharan Africa � which accounts for 90 percent of the total annual death tally from malaria � could rise by 46,000 additional fatalities due to a 25 percent disruption to effective disease treatment.
However, the progress in global malaria response over the two decades was relative, WHO added, in particular regarding the decreased incidence rate and the death toll in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the population has risen from 665 million to over 1 billion over the last 20 years.
Besides, the growth in investment in the fight against the disease has declined in the last few years, the report said, adding, that the COVID-19 pandemic could contribute to its further decline.
In the meantime, the coronavirus disease accounts for around 20,000 deaths in the region, out of about 50,000 fatalities reported across Africa, the report noted.
