04/26/2019
Press Release No. 069, 2019
- This disease is a factor in the inequity and lack of development in the areas where transmission occurs. Therefore, the national government proposed to eliminate it by 2025.
Bogotá, April 26, 2019. On March 14th, a momentous partnership for health in Colombia was signed. That day, Juan Pablo Uribe, Minister of Health and Social Protection, and 12 mayors of the Colombian Pacific Coast, along with representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) signed the Pact for the Elimination of Malaria.
The happening is one of the important steps that the national government has taken to eradicate this disease, which has a high social burden and, therefore, a high incidence in inequality, in the stagnation of development, and in poverty in many regions in the country.
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito bite. Every year, 300-500 million people are infected in the world.
The most common symptoms are fever, headache, chills, vomiting, fatigue and shortness of breath, and they appear a week after being infected with the parasite. If not treated properly and on time, it can be deadly.
"Colombia has a been gaining momentum in recent years with cases of this disease decreasing and with a relatively low mortality, but we want to reduce it until it is eradicated. Therefore, one of the Ministry's priorities in public health, under President Ivan Duque's government, is for Colombia to enter the Regional Malaria Elimination Initiative (RMEI)," said Uribe on Thursday on the celebration of the World Malaria Day, presenting the slogan this year 'Zero Malaria Starts with Me'.
According to figures from the National Institute of Health (INS), in the last decade between 60,000 and 80,000 cases of this disease have been reported annually. For example, in 2018 there were 62,141; in 2017, 55,117; and in 2016, 84,742.
So far in 2019 already 23,613 episodes have occurred, of which 1.8% (415) are complicated malaria. This year there have been no disease-related deaths, but there were 9 in 2018; 19 in 2017, and 36 in 2016.
The region in the country most affected by this disease–which every year claims around 800,000 lives worldwide, especially in Africa–is the Pacific Coast. Hence, the Pact for the Elimination of Malaria has prioritized 12 of its municipalities, where 60% of cases occur in Colombia: Atrato, Bagadó, Juradó, Acandí, Medio Atrato, Lloró, Quibdó, Unguía, Riosucio and Rio Quito, in Chocó; the district of Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), and Tumaco (Nariño).
"In those municipalities, we are already working to eliminate the disease with this technical work that will allow us to use the best global practices for malaria elimination. Supplementing our efforts at the Ministry, additional resources will be attained." With this rigorous exercise we will be able to attack that disease, eliminate it in a couple of years and with those learnings, expand to the rest of Colombia where we are working with the National Program for the Elimination of Malaria, for this reduction to continue its course and accelerate for the well-being of Colombians," Minister Juan Pablo Uribe said.
The Pact will initially invest around 30 billion pesos (of which $7,500 are from international organizations) to train and improve human talent, boost diagnosis, articulate prevention efforts more effectively and treat the disease in timely fashion.
In addition to this are the actions carried out by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection through the National Program for the Elimination of Malaria in this region and others in the country where the disease is present.
José Fernando Valderrama, Deputy Director of Communicable Diseases of the Ministry, said that the actions of the Pact are already being implemented and what is most important is that there is consensus with the local administration authorities for this not to be transient but a lasting policy in order to be effective in the elimination of malaria.
"Thee is a commitment from all parties; and to achieve that goal in the 12 targeted municipalities first and then in the other areas, such as Orinoquia, Amazonia and the border lands, it is key that everyone participate, as motto of the World Malaria Day this year reminds us: Zero Malaria Starts with Me. According to projections, this disease would be eliminated from Colombia by 2025," said Deputy Director Valderrama on Thursday at an academic event at the INS to commemorate the celebration.
Interesting Facts
- If you present the symptoms and have been in an area with vector transmission, you should go to a health center in a timely manner to have diagnostic tests performed.
- These tests seek to verify whether or not you have malaria, and to determine the type of parasite, to receive appropriate treatment.
- In areas where the vector is present and the mosquito lives, use mosquito nets to avoid mosquito bites while sleeping.
- Wear appropriate clothing: long sleeves and long pants, in the transmission areas.
- In endemic areas, do not expose yourself to mosquito bites, especially in the early morning hours (5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.) and at nightfall (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
- Eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
- Provide medical personnel with the information requested about your location during the last 2 weeks, especially if you have remained in areas with active transmission.
- If diagnosed with malaria, take the complete treatment and do not self-medicate.
