Date: Tue 14 Mar 2017 20:00
Source: The East African [edited]
Burundi has declared a malaria epidemic after more than 9 million cases were recorded since last year [2016].
According to the Burundi's Health minister Dr Josiane Nijimbere, more than 3700 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease since 2016.
"There is an increase of 13 percent of the cases related to malaria", she said adding that this "is why we have decided to declare the disease as an epidemic".
She singled out Kirundo, Muyinga and Kayanza in northern Burundi and Cankuzo in the east as the areas in which an increase in the number of people suffering from the disease have been reported. "The situation is further compounded by climate change and prolonged drought leading to people going without food, she said".
"The World Health Organization (WHO's) priority now is to work with the Burundi Ministry of Health to finalize the outbreak response plan, engage in resource mobilization and provide technical support including deploying malaria specialists", Dr Walter Kazad i Mulombo, the WHO representative in the country told The EastAfrican.
About 3.1 million USD are needed for the response plan, according to both government and WHO. Burundi previously declared a malaria epidemic in 2002. According to WHO, last year [2016] 212 million malaria cases were reported globally with 429 000 deaths recorded. [Byline: Moses Havyarimana]
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[According to the WHO 2016 World Malaria Report (<
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/252038/1/9789241511711-eng.pdf?ua=1>), the incidence of malaria in Burundi increased more than 50 percent from 2010 to 2015. Up to 75 percent of the population is covered by insecticide treated bed nets. The national expenditure on malaria control is less than 4 USD per capita and 95 percent of the cost of the control program is covered by international donors. - ProMED Mod.EP]
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