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Africa: Coronavirus Could Double Malaria Deaths, Researchers Warn
The potential public health consequences of COVID-19 on malaria in Africa - additional deaths per million.
7 August 2020
Cape Town — Malaria deaths in Africa could double this year if the coronavirus pandemic is allowed to disrupt malaria prevention and treatment initiatives, say researchers from Imperial College, London.
In an article published Friday in the journal Nature Medicine, the college's Covid-19 Response Team says if mosquito nets are not distributed and other interventions – including testing for and treating malaria, and giving children anti-malarial medicines – are halved over six months, there could be 779,000 malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa over a 12-month period.
The researchers echo warnings from others, including the World Health Organization, of the threat that the pandemic poses to malaria control activities such as the delivery of insecticidal nets.
They estimate that a record 228 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) were due to be delivered across Sub-Saharan Africa this year, more than ever before, and called for "swift action" to prevent malaria and Covid-19 from overwhelming health systems.
Responding to the survey, the executive director of Malaria No More UK, James Whiting, said it was "absolutely vital" to continue distributing nets...
Africa: Coronavirus Could Double Malaria Deaths, Researchers Warn
The potential public health consequences of COVID-19 on malaria in Africa - additional deaths per million.
7 August 2020
Cape Town — Malaria deaths in Africa could double this year if the coronavirus pandemic is allowed to disrupt malaria prevention and treatment initiatives, say researchers from Imperial College, London.
In an article published Friday in the journal Nature Medicine, the college's Covid-19 Response Team says if mosquito nets are not distributed and other interventions – including testing for and treating malaria, and giving children anti-malarial medicines – are halved over six months, there could be 779,000 malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa over a 12-month period.
The researchers echo warnings from others, including the World Health Organization, of the threat that the pandemic poses to malaria control activities such as the delivery of insecticidal nets.
They estimate that a record 228 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) were due to be delivered across Sub-Saharan Africa this year, more than ever before, and called for "swift action" to prevent malaria and Covid-19 from overwhelming health systems.
Responding to the survey, the executive director of Malaria No More UK, James Whiting, said it was "absolutely vital" to continue distributing nets...