WHO reports Malaria outbreak in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ehiopia (PANA) - Between 1 January and 20 October 2024, over 7.3 million malaria cases and 1157 deaths (CFR 0.02%) were reported in Ethiopia, WHO reported here Friday.
Malaria poses a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia, where approximately 75% of the land mass is considered to be endemic to malaria.
Around 69% of the population residing in these areas face the risk of infection where periodic outbreaks contribute to up to 20% of deaths among children under the age of five.
Challenges remain in delivering essential health care services, including malaria treatment, in health facilities due to access challenges and barely functioning health facilities in areas affected by conflicts.
The presence of other concurrent disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies in the country further exacerbates these challenges.
WHO assesses the national risk for malaria in Ethiopia as high due to multiple factors including the spread of Anopheles stephensi, drought and food insecurity, climate change-induced extreme weather events and ongoing conflict.
WHO assesses the regional risk as moderate due to concurrent malaria and other vector-borne disease outbreaks in six neighbouring countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.
-0-PANA RA 1Nov2024
