25 April: World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day (WMD) is being observed annually on 25 April across the world to recognise the global efforts to control preventable vector borne disease malaria.
It also seeks to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for elimination and control of malaria.
2016 Theme: “End Malaria For Good”. It reflects the vision of a malaria-free world set out in the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030.
The strategy was adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015. It aims to dramatically lower the global malaria burden over the next 15 years and is aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals of the strategy are: (i) Reduce rate of new malaria cases by at least 90% (ii) Reduce malaria death rates by at least 90% (iii) Eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries (iv) Prevent a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.
Background

• The World Malaria Day was established by the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, a decision-making body of World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2007.
• It was established to provide understanding and education of malaria and also spread information on year-long intensified implementation of national malaria-control strategies.
• It is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the WHO.

Note: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease most commonly transmitted by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. It caused by parasitic protozoans (a group of single-celled microorganisms) belonging to the Plasmodium type.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2016