Health

Malaria deaths in Africa could double to 750,000 or 760,000 this year, WHO warns

Geneva, May 8 (EFE).- The pandemic has interrupted vital work against malaria which could leave 500 million people unprotected as the health industry is focusing on producing Covid-19 tests, Pedro Alonso Fernández of the World Health Organization warns.SOUNDBITES OF PEDRO ALONSO FERNÁNDEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE WHO'S GLOBAL MALARIA PROGRAMME:"We commissioned a series of studies to estimate the impact of Covid considering interruptions in the distribution of insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets or in access to diagnoses and treatments. The most negative scenario but which we consider highly feasible indicates that in Africa the number of malaria deaths could double to 750,000 or 760,000 this year. It is a pessimistic scenario, very worrying and that would put us back to where we were more than 20 years ago. We are also seeing the effect of border closures and decreased production of certain supplies, so we are monitoring the production of derivatives or combinations with artemisinin (a group of drugs used against malaria) that are our first line of treatment, but the greatest concern is the interruption of rapid tests for the diagnosis of malaria. Some of the world's largest producers are transferring their capacity to producing Covid-19 diagnostics, which in a matter of weeks could pose a major general shortage problem."