Current Affairs

Issue

Recently, China has been declared as Malaria free by World Health Organization.

Background

Malaria is a tropical disease that is caused by plasmodium parasite. The mosquito acts as a vector in spreading the infection.

Details

• Malaria has been traditionally associated with tropical nations. The majority of burden in recent times is shared by African Countries (94% of cases). India has about 2 percent of global malaria burden.

• As many as 127 countries have been declared malaria-free since 1900. Recent eliminators were China and El Salvador.

Controlling malaria

• New scientific studies about vectors, larval development and transmission have allowed control of disease. This has eliminated disease in many countries.

• The process requires proper training for health care workers and surveillance measures to identify and eliminate the infection.

• China used strong surveillance and genome testing method to prevent new strains from reaching the country.

Malaria in India

• India has been able to substantially reduce malaria cases. It has been able to reduce deaths due to the diseases, especially in hotspot areas.

• Even after such measures, cases are still higher. India has 11th highest malarial case load. It is the only country outside Africa to be in the list.