COVID-19 is dominating health news around the world, but there is some good news for another global health crisis. Malaysia is celebrating two consecutive years with zero indigenous malaria cases. If the country continues for another year, they will officially be a malaria-free nation.
The World Health Organization defines indigenous cases as “contracted locally with no evidence of importation and no direct link to transmission from an imported case.” In 2010 there were more than 5,000 indigenous malaria cases in Malaysia, but after helping found the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network and launching extensive research and net distribution initiatives, the number of cases fell 59 percent between 2010 and 2017.
Unfortunately, the country still struggles with imported malaria cases and those transmitted from monkeys. In 2019, the country saw 3,200 zoonotic cases.
The Malaysian government says the spread of COVID-19 will not interfere with their impressive progress towards eliminating malaria. Testing and mosquito net distribution continue in the country with the hopes of another indigenous case-free year.
