Upward tick in malaria cases threatens global efforts to eradicate disease
The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and DT Families Foundation have signed an agreement that will make a tangible difference to permanently eliminating malaria in Thailand
.
Malaria was once the biggest killer of mankind and remains an entrenched global
health challenge. The threat from the mosquito-borne infectious disease has also risen dramatically with the recent emergence of drug-resistant strains in the Greater Mekong sub-region.
Between 2000 and 2015 the world made remarkable progress in reducing malaria,
with the number of those affected down by 37 per cent and deaths by 62 per cent.
In Thailand, the improvement was even better, with the number of malaria sufferers down 65 per cent from 2010 to 2016.
Thirty-five Thai provinces were recently declared malaria-free, moving the country nearer to its national malaria elimination target of 2025.
But global progress is stalling. According to a 2017 report, worldwide malaria cases in 2016 were estimated at 216 million, up five million on the previous year.
Emerging forms of drug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region also threaten a resurgence in malaria-related deaths, which would cause serious social and economic impacts and strain healthcare systems.
“This must be a wake-up call that our previous success is at risk and that the malaria control strategies of the past will not be as effective in the future,” said Dr Benjamin Rolfe, the CEO of APLMA.
