Malaria took more lives than estimated

The global malaria mortality rate is higher than previously estimated, especially in adults, says a new study.

According to the “Global malaria mortality between 1980 and 2010 report,” published in the British medical journal Lancet, malaria accounted for 1.24 million deaths including 714,000 children younger than five and 524,000 individuals aged five or older in 2010. This contradicts the World Health Organisation’s report that malaria accounted for 655,000 deaths in 2010.

The risk of malaria death in several African countries that have scaled up control efforts (such as Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia) decreased between 2000 and 2010, the report said.

However, malaria mortality risk in 2010 was highest in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa.

Individuals aged 15-49, 50-69, and 70 or older accounted for 20 per cent, nine per cent and six per cent of malaria deaths in 2010, respectively.

The research, funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed to provide an accurate assessment of the levels and time trends in malaria mortality.

“Our findings show that in the past five years, substantial progress has been made in the fight against malaria, with a 31 per cent reduction in global malaria deaths,” said Christopher Murray, professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and the lead researcher for the study.

“When assessed as the proportion of deaths of children younger than five years due to malaria in Africa, the difference with previous estimates is even greater.”

In 2008, 24 per cent of child deaths in Africa were due to malaria compared with the 16 per cent reported by the World Malaria Report estimates.

“This discrepancy is attributable to both the larger numbers of malaria deaths in our analysis and the fact that we use child mortality estimates using a systematic analysis that suggests fewer deaths from all causes than did sources used by the World Malaria Report,” said Dr Murray adding that the previous studies had not taken advantage of the effect of interventions other than vector control, or developed models.

The rise in malaria deaths up to 2004 is attributed to a growth in populations at risk of malaria, while the decline since 2004 is attributed to “a rapid scaling up of malaria control in Africa” supported by international donors

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who recently assumed the chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) from Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said that malaria campaign has made significant progress, yet faces real challenges in terms of funding.

“Despite this progress, the current global funding crisis as evidenced by the postponement of the Global Fund Round 11 – threatens momentum,” Sirleaf said.

ALMA estimates that there is a gap of $3.3 billion in funding needed to achieve and sustain universal coverage of essential malaria interventions including artemisinin-based combination therapies, rapid diagnostic tests and long-lasting insecticidal nets to the end of 2015.

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