June 3, 2022
Eritrea: Eradicating malaria
By Lwam Kahsay
Malaria is one of the world’s killer diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, in 2020, the number of infection worldwide was 241,000,000, while the number of deaths stood at 627,000, with 95 % of malaria incidences and 96% of deaths occurring in Africa. Prior to Eritrea’s independence malaria incidence was very high as well as mortality rates were. For example, between 1987 and 1989 there was a malaria endemic that claimed many lives. Even after independence, malaria incidence was relatively high in the early period. But in 1998, the government launched a five-year strategic plan to drastically reduce the infection rate of malaria. It aimed at lowering the incidence rate, the spread of malaria and death rate by 80%.
