World Malaria Day: 10 Interesting Facts About Malaria

Malaria is a deadly virus and requires immediate care to avoid serious health issues. This disease is caused by a parasite that spreads to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms of Malaria are quite easy to spot as it normally presents with a high fever and chills. The disease is quite common in subtropical and tropical countries. World Malaria Day is celebrated on April 25 each year to raise awareness regarding this disease and to take action to stop its spread. 

Read on to learn more about the history, theme, and interesting facts regarding Malaria.

World Malaria Day: History

World Malaria Day was instituted in the 60th session of the World Health Assembly back in 2007 [1]. The primary objective of this special day is to raise awareness and inform people about this disease. Simply put, it aims to help people prevent the spread and alert them to the various treatment measures. Previously this day was celebrated as ‘African Malaria Day’ but was later changed. This is because it was declared a global health emergency by WHO. 

On this day, communities from across the world come together and celebrate their journey towards the common goal of eradicating this illness.

World Malaria Day theme

The goal of eliminating Malaria by the year 2021 was the theme and focus of World Malaria Day 2021 [2]. For World Malaria Day 2022, the theme is “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”  

World Malaria Day celebration

The day is marked by activities organized by governments or private organizations around the world. Anti-malaria nets are on display, which can be used in households. In some cities, these are distributed in public. Malaria medications are also distributed to those residing in unsanitary areas where the chances of getting infected are high.

Interesting facts about Malaria

• In 2020, WHO reported that there was north of 241 million Malaria cases across the world
• Malaria infects an average of 200 million people every year [3]
• Among all the communicable diseases, Malaria is the third largest killer of children between the ages of one month and five years [4]
• Five different parasites can cause Malaria in your body, but the deadliest one is named “plasmodium falciparum” 
• Via the Global technical strategy for Malaria 2016–2030, the WHO aims to completely eliminate Malaria from at least 35 countries by 2030
• Malaria can spread from human to human but isn’t contagious through typical contact or even sexual contact. It can pass from human to human by blood transfusion, sharing needles, or through pregnancy
• If you are infected with Malaria, you can have none to very severe symptoms. It may take 9 to 40 days for the symptoms to appear. Early symptoms include headache, fatigue, and vomiting. If these symptoms are left untreated, they can worsen, leading to loss of consciousness and impairment of the spinal cord, also affecting your brain functions
• Malaria can be cured with prescription drugs; treatment depends on the type of strain you have been infected with
• Safety nets are the most effective tools for prevention. In fact, it was the sole factor responsible for reducing the incidence of Malaria in Africa
• The mortality rate due to Malaria is falling. Better treatment solutions and swifter deployment are among the key reasons
• Countries that successfully recorded three consecutive years with zero Malaria can apply for the malaria-free certificate. In the last 20 years, WHO has certified 11 countries as malaria-free

As India represents about 3% of the malaria infections across the world [5], it is important to be careful and take preventive measures. Make sure to consult a doctor immediately if you suspect any symptoms. You can even book an online doctor consultation on Bajaj Finserv Health and get expert advice. Thus, you can lower the impact that Malaria has on your body and ensure a quicker recovery.