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Five countries from Asia and Central America had no cases of Malaria in 2018: WHO

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According to the report by World Health Organization (WHO), Four countries from Asia includes China, Iran, Malaysia and Timor-Leste and one country from Central America, El Salvador had malaria-free cases in 2018 and the report confirms that world is on a track to reach malaria elimination by 2020.No cases of Malaria in 2018

Key points:

  • The E-2020 progress report, which is launched in 2016 by the WHO covering 21 countries & spanning five regions.
  • E-2020 initiative: 2019 progress report shows that China and El Salvador reported no cases for the second consecutive year while Iran, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste had zero cases of malaria for the first time in 2018.
  • Malaysia reported zero cases in 2018, which is a major achievement from 5,194 cases in 2010 to 85 cases in 2017.
  • Iran had more than 1,800 cases in 2010 which decreased to zero in 2018.
  • Timor-Leste had disease rate from a high of 223,002 cases in 2006, to 95 cases in 2016, to zero cases in 2018.
  • The 21 countries identified by WHO on the basis of 3 factors include trends in malaria case incidence between 2000 and 2016, Declared malaria objectives of affected countries & Opinions of WHO experts.
  • In May 2019, Algeria and Argentina were identified as malaria-free by WHO
  • According to WHO’s World malaria report 2018, about 60% of fatalities accounted among children under five years caused 266,000 of all malaria deaths worldwide.
  • India (4 per cent) which is  progress in reducing its malaria cases in 2017 compared to 2016 (24 % reduction), Nigeria (25 per cent), Democratic Republic of the Congo (11 per cent), Mozambique (5 per cent), and Uganda (4 per cent) were  accounted for nearly 50 per cent of all malaria cases worldwide.

About WHO
♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
♦ Head: Tedros Adhanom
♦ Founded: 7 April 1948