Path to a zero malaria world: a new type of net could cut risk of the mosquito-borne disease by half
- We track the journey of how the mosquito first gets infected and how it passes the disease on to a human being
- There is a growing insecticide resistance seen in the pests that carry the infection
Nearly half a million children in the African region die every year from malaria. Photo: ReutersA new kind of mosquito net delivered across sub-Saharan Africa averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases. It also prevented nearly 25,000 deaths over three years, the project’s backers said last month.
There were 249 million recorded malaria cases and 608,000 deaths in 2022. This data from the World Health Organization shows that most of the burden is in Africa.
Nearly half a million children in the African region die every year from malaria. The disease is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes.
The world is facing one major challenge as it strives to drive down the stubbornly high numbers. There is a growing insecticide resistance seen in the mosquitoes that carry the disease.
In a bid to tackle that problem, the New Nets Project delivered 56 million dual-insecticide nets. This was done across 17 malaria-endemic countries between 2019 and 2022.
The initiative was funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund and led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium.
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The new nets were coated in a new generation pyrrole insecticide in combination with the standard pyrethroid insecticide. It was found that they did a far better job at malaria control.
Two clinical trials and five pilot studies were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the new nets. Research showed that compared to standard nets, they improved malaria control by 20 to 50 per cent in countries reporting insecticide resistance in sub-Saharan Africa. The backers estimated the additional cost per case of malaria averted using the new nets was between US$0.66 (HK$5.16) and US$3.56 (HK$27.84).
The reduction in malaria cases and deaths attributed to the new nets also “equated to a potential US$28.9 million in financial savings to health systems”, the statement said.
“The success of the New Nets Project is proof that, by fostering collaboration across global health partners, harnessing innovation, and using market-shaping approaches, we can fight insecticide resistance, make our interventions highly cost-effective and accelerate progress against malaria,” Global Fund chief Peter Sands said in the statement.
Agence France-Press and Tribune News Agency
What is malaria and what causes it?
Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans, most commonly through mosquito bites (see graphic).
Parasites that cause malaria affect red blood cells. Hence, one can also be infected by exposure to infected blood. This includes from mother to unborn child, through blood transfusions and by sharing needles used to inject drugs.
Symptoms of malaria typically begin within a few weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year. Some people who have malaria experience cycles of malaria “attacks.” An attack usually starts with shivering and chills, followed by a high fever. After that, there is a bout of sweating, and finally a return to normal temperature.
Signs and symptoms of malaria can include fever, chills, general feeling of discomfort, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate and cough.
Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended the widespread use of a new malaria vaccine for children. The WHO director general called the long-awaited vaccine a “breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control”. He also said that when combined with existing tools to prevent malaria, tens of thousands of children could be saved each year.