The WHO World Malaria Report reveals that 241 million cases of the disease and 627,000 deaths were recorded last year.

The figures represent about 14 million more notifications and 69,000 more deaths compared to 2019 rates. The UN agency said the pandemic is behind an additional 47,000 deaths because of a lack of prevention and treatment during the global health crisis.

The Director of Communication of the Global Health Agency, Unitaid, Mauricio Cysne, quoted by Onu News agency, says that his institution has invested many resources in finding solutions that prevent and treat malaria in women and children. Especially in the case of pregnant women, who cannot receive a normal malaria treatment.

And in this case, "in Mozambique, we have an innovative project, where one pill a day makes women prevent malaria, thus saving thousands of lives," he says, adding that Unitaid continues its work also in the search for a vaccine, which "is now being tested, also in Mozambique and other countries in the region, hoping that soon malaria will be a treatable and preventable disease."

According to WHO data last year, the global malaria mortality rate was 15.3 deaths per 100,000 people at risk. The target was 8.9. And the situation has become even worse. In the early days of the pandemic, the WHO had projected that the number of malaria deaths during 2020 could double. Many countries took urgent action.

Sub-Saharan Africa concentrates the heaviest malaria burden with 95% of all cases and 96% of all deaths last year. About 80% of the deaths in the region were children under five years of age.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus recalled that even before Covid-19 the gains in fighting malaria were stagnant. By 2017, there had been progress including a reduction in case incidence of 27% and a reduction of nearly 51% in deaths since 2000.

WHO recommends improvements in access to health services against the disease with domestic and international investments. Cheap trials and the first vaccine to be recommended by the agency, RTS,S/AS01. In October of this year, the WHO made the recommendation of the drug for children living in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source UN News