Mozambique Marks World Malaria Day with Call for Action and Reports 12% Decline in Cases

Mozambique marked World Malaria Day with renewed calls for global action against malaria, citing a 12% drop in malaria cases for 2024. President Chapo urged the adoption of vaccinations, indoor spraying, and other interventions. The country remains heavily burdened by malaria, having implemented significant strategies including a childhood vaccine and digital systems to enhance control efforts amid ongoing challenges with resources.

Mozambique celebrated World Malaria Day last Friday by advocating for a stronger global response to combat malaria, an urgent concern confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In a public statement, President Daniel Chapo emphasized the need for widespread adoption of evidence-based interventions. These include vaccination, indoor residual spraying, and the distribution of mosquito nets alongside the administration of seasonal chemoprevention, which involves providing curative doses of antimalarial medications to at-risk children.

President Chapo reiterated the government’s commitment to malaria control strategies as outlined in Mozambique’s national governance plan. He called for increased collaboration with international organizations, as well as public-private partnerships to bolster these efforts. While Mozambique has made considerable progress in malaria management, challenges concerning insufficient funding and limited access to resources pose serious risks to these ongoing initiatives.

Malaria, transmitted by infected mosquitoes, remains a significant health threat in Mozambique, where it is among the leading causes of illness and death. In the previous year, the country reported over 11.5 million malaria cases and at least 358 hospital deaths; however, it is estimated that actual mortality may be much higher. The WHO has predicted that malaria results in approximately 22,000 deaths annually in Mozambique.

The data for 2024 shows some improvements, with over 11.5 million cases, a decrease of 12 percent from the previous year, and hospital admissions down by 4 percent. This decline is modest but indicates progress in the fight against malaria in a nation that carries the world’s fifth-highest malaria burden, according to the WHO. The environmental conditions in Mozambique facilitate the year-round breeding of Anopheles mosquitoes, complicating control efforts.

In efforts to tackle this serious health challenge, Mozambique has embarked on several mitigation strategies, notably initiating a childhood malaria vaccine rollout in 2024, joining a cohort of 14 African nations. Children under five years old are particularly affected, representing about 76 percent of malaria deaths in the WHO African Region, which bears a disproportionately high global malaria burden.

The R21 malaria vaccine, developed with input from Mozambican scientists, began distribution last August to children aged six to 11 months in Zambézia province, with around 300,000 doses given. A single dose of R21 can potentially reduce malaria cases by up to 66 percent, while completing the full four-dose schedule offers extended protection.

Furthermore, Mozambique is leveraging digital tools to enhance malaria control efforts. Historically, the Ministry of Health kept manual records for their malaria control program, which impeded data collection and analysis, thus slowing response actions. A new system introduced in 2022, the Integrated Malaria Information System, merges four major data sets and features a user-friendly dashboard, enabling rapid access to critical information.

As a result of digitalizing malaria campaigns, efforts have become significantly more efficient, reducing the typical campaign duration from one or two weeks to just five days, which allows for quicker resource allocation, including mosquito nets. With an increase in funding, the combination of digital solutions and effective vaccination programs could greatly diminish malaria’s prevalence in Mozambique.

Mozambique’s initiatives on World Malaria Day underscore a commitment to combat malaria through various interventions such as vaccinations and a focus on digitalization. While the nation has made progress in reducing malaria cases by 12 percent in 2024, much work remains. Continued collaboration with international partners, improved funding, and technological advancements stand as pivotal aspects in the fight against this deadly disease. Ultimately, these strategies hold the potential to greatly improve health outcomes in the country.

Original Source: macaonews.org