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Coronavirus Pandemic Overshadows World Malaria Day in Africa

Lenny Ruvaga

   NAIROBI - The coronavirus pandemic is overshadowing this year's World
   Malaria Day (April 25) in Africa, despite malaria's much higher death
   toll across the continent. The World Health Organization says more than
   380,000 Africans died from malaria in 2018, 94% of the world's total.
   In contrast, Africa has so far confirmed about 1,200 deaths from the
   spreading coronavirus.

   Health experts agree COVID-19 -- the disease caused by the coronavirus
   - must be stopped from overwhelming already weak African health care
   systems; but, they worry the focus on the infection could roll back
   progress against malaria.

   World Malaria Day comes at a time when Africa is struggling to make
   further progress against the mosquito-borne disease but also as the
   coronavirus pandemic threatens the continent's weak health care system.

   The World Health Organization says Africa accounts for 94% of global
   malaria deaths and between 2000 and 2014, malaria-related deaths fell
   by 40%.

   But according to the WHO's World Malaria Report 2019, there have been
   few gains in reducing malaria infections and fatalities since.

   Dr. Francis Kimani is with the Kenya Medical Research Institute. He
   says with the outbreak of COVID-19 in Africa, gains made against
   malaria could even be reversed.

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