Malaria Remains a Major Challenge in Ethiopia, Reports WHO

AccuBioTech provides a wide range of rapid malaria tests to help improve the efficiency and accuracy of malaria diagnostics in order to better respond to current malaria outbreaks.

 

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a significant surge in malaria cases in Ethiopia, marking it as one of the worst outbreaks in the last seven years. Between January 1 and October 20, 2024, over 7.3 million cases of malaria and 1,157 deaths have been reported in the country, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.02%.

 

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 is at risk of infection, and periodic outbreaks contribute to up to 20% of deaths among children under the age of five.

 

In 2024, the majority (95%) of the total reported cases were laboratory-confirmed, with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for more than two-thirds of the cases. Four regions - Oromia (44% of cases and 667 deaths), Amhara (18% of cases and 56 deaths), Southwest (12% of cases and 250 deaths), and South Ethiopia Regional State (7% of cases and 45 deaths) - accounted for 81% of the reported cases and 89% of health facility malaria deaths.

 

Nationally, a total of 222 high-burden districts (woredas) were identified for targeted intervention. Among these districts, 50 are reported to be partially accessible due to protracted conflicts in these areas. Males account for 56% of outpatient cases and 52% of inpatient admissions, while children under five years old account for 16% of the total cases.

 

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. The regional risk is also moderate as there are concurrent malaria and other vector-borne disease outbreaks in six neighbouring countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

 

The Ethiopian government, in partnership with WHO and other anti-malaria partners, has been making efforts to combat malaria. However, the challenges in delivering essential health care services, including malaria treatment, in health facilities remain due to access challenges and barely functioning health facilities in conflict-affected areas. The presence of other concurrent disease outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies in the country further exacerbates these difficulties.

 

In the face of such a critical situation, rapid and accurate testing is essential for malaria control. AccuBioTech provides a wide range of malaria rapid tests, including

 

Accu-Tell® Malaria P.f. Rapid Test Cassette (whole blood),

Accu-Tell® Malaria P.f./P.v. Rapid Test Cassette (whole blood),

Accu-Tell® Malaria P.f./Pan Rapid Test Cassette (whole blood),

Accu-Tell® Malaria P.f./P.v./Pan Rapid Test Cassette (whole blood).

 

 

These products use rapid chromatographic immunoassays to qualitatively detect different species of Plasmodium in blood, providing a convenient and accurate means of diagnosing malaria.

 

The availability of such a rapid test is important for controlling the spread of the disease and reducing mortality. Rapid and accurate diagnostic tools are especially important in areas such as Ethiopia, where medical facilities are limited and epidemics are severe.

 

Source: World Health Organization (WHO).