Adhere to malaria prevention measures amid coronavirus

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a catastrophic impact on the most vulnerable communities worldwide. It is a threat to progress in the fight against malaria, HIV and tuberculosis.

In the lead up to this year’s World Malaria Day, countries worldwide are in the throes of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. While cases of coronavirus in malaria-affected countries currently represent only a small proportion of the global total, the situation is evolving rapidly.

For this year’s World Malaria Day, themed: ‘Under Partnership to End Malaria in promoting ‘Zero malaria starts with me’, this campaign aims to mobilise resources and empower communities to take ownership of malaria prevention and care.

As Covid-19 spreads worldwide, WHO urges countries to ensure the continuity of malaria prevention, treatment and control. Covid-19 pandemic is testing the resilience and robustness of health systems worldwide. Recognising the heavy toll malaria exacts on vulnerable people in sub-Saharan Africa as well as the region’s fragile health infrastructure, WHO underlines the critical importance of sustaining efforts to detect, prevent and treat malaria.

In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, the malaria community must remain committed to supporting the prevention of malaria infection, illness and death through preventive and case management services, while maintaining a safe environment for patients, clients and staff.

Sustaining the provision of core malaria prevention and control measures is an important strategy for reducing the strain on health systems, including vector control measures, such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying, as well as chemoprevention for pregnant women and young children. Additional special measures could be used to ease the burden on health systems in the context of Covid-19 such as presumptive malaria treatment and mass drug administration.

In recent days, there have been reports of disruptions in the supply chains of essential malaria commodities such as insecticide treated mosquito nets, rapid diagnostic test kits and antimalarial medicines due to the lockdown and from a suspension of the importation and exportation of goods in response to Covid-19.

Coordinated action is required to ensure the availability of key malaria control tools, particularly in countries with a high burden of the disease.

Uganda remains one of the 11 countries that account for 70 per cent of all malaria cases globally. The increase in the number of severe forms of malaria requiring admission by 60 per cent in 2019 is evidence of this. Currently 144,000 children in Uganda die before their fifth birthday each year with 40 per cent of these deaths resulting from pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoea.

The Global Fund has been investing in the control programmes of HIV, TB, and malaria, since 2002. Based on the Global Fund Board’s decision in November 2019 on the funding available for the 2020-2022 allocation period, the Uganda Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) for the Global Fund secured $260,024,950 towards the fight against malaria between 2021 and 2023.

As we follow government’s directives to protect us from coronavirus, we urge everyone to sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net. This will ensure that we are healthy both during and after the lockdown. One key strategy that we can deploy to fight malaria during this Covid-pandemic is strengthening the Integrated Community Case Management of Malaria.

Prof Kigozi is the board chairperson – The Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) for the Global Fund in Uganda.