Let’s not lose sight of Malaria even as we fight coronavirus – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned the nation’s health workers not to lose sight of malaria even as they battle COVID-19.

Mr Mahama said this to commemorate World Malaria Day on Saturday, 25 April 2020 on the theme “Zero Malaria Starts with me”.

In a Facebook post, Mr Mahama who is seeking re-election later this year in December said: “Even as we celebrate the successes we’ve made as a country, to eliminate malaria, we must not relax. This year’s theme ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’ is very appropriate for the current public health challenge. We must also remember that Zero #COVID19 Starts with us. Let us not lose sight of Malaria even as we fight #COVID19. Together, we can make significant advances against both.”

World Malaria Day is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognises global efforts to control malaria.

Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria. In 2012, malaria caused an estimated 627,000 deaths, mostly among African children.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) between 2000 and 2014, the number of malaria-related deaths fell by 40% worldwide, from an estimated 743 000 to 446 000.

But in recent years, progress has ground to a standstill. According to WHO's World malaria report 2019, there were no global gains in reducing new infections over the period 2014 to 2018. And nearly as many people died from malaria in 2018 as the year before.