’Disease of poverty’: #Malaria ’back with a vengeance’ in Australia’s closest neighbours
▻https://www.smh.com.au/national/disease-of-poverty-malaria-back-with-a-vengeance-in-australia-s-closest-neig
In 2016 there were an estimated 216 million malaria cases globally.
Papua New Guinea recorded a staggering 400 per cent surge in malaria between 2010 and 2016, WHO figures show, with an estimated 1.4 million malaria cases and 3000 deaths in 2016.
Solomon Islands recorded a 40 per cent rise in cases of the disease transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes infected with a #plasmodium parasite. The rise was partly due to inadequate access to services and improved surveillance, according to WHO.
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“Malaria can often be the victim of its own success,” Professor Crabb said of the “disease of poverty”.
“As you make progress, health departments tend to focus on other health issues and as soon as you do that with malaria, it comes back with a vengeance.”
The rise in prevalence coincides with economic upheaval in PNG and significant cuts to public health expenditure. PNG is also grappling with a polio outbreak – 18 years after the country was declared polio-free.
“It doesn’t take long for malaria to come back if you take your foot off the public health accelerator,” Professor Crabb said.
