Africa has a high mortality rate, which is not only a cause of Covid-19. According to the Regional Office of the World Health Organization, malaria kills thousands of people worldwide, more than 90% of them in this area. Thus, the WHO deplores the lack of sustained efforts in the fight against this disease.
The WHO Regional Office warns that in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria causes the death of many more people, especially children, than Covid-19, reports the Telegraph.
According to the Daily newspaper, around 400,000 people die of malaria every year, more than 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. By way of comparison, 50,000 people have died from coronavirus in Africa since the beginning of 2020, including in North Africa.
Malaria more dangerous than Covid-19
The World Health Organisation suggests that the pandemic could lead to between 20,000 and 100,000 more malaria deaths.
“The number of deaths will be much lower for Covid-19 than for malaria [in this region, e.d.]. The question is, why is this causing so much concern with an event like Covid-19 or Ebola, and why is it so ordinary and normal that hundreds of thousands of children die every year from malaria,” says Matshidiso Moeti, director of the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
Progress in this direction has been achieved
According to its new report, significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria over the last 20 years, with 1.5 billion cases and 7.6 million deaths prevented.
The number of deaths has increased from 736,000 in 2000 to 409,000 in 2019, and the incidence rate (the number of cases per 1,000 people at risk) from 80 in 2000 to 57 in 2019. Efforts have also been made in terms of prevention, early detection, and treatment.
However, they have become less visible in recent years, the Daily Newspaper reports. Experts warn that the pandemic could further worsen the situation.
