TITLE:
COVID-19 and Malaria: A Comparative Study of Epidemiology, Burden, and Challenges
AUTHORS:
Hamid H. Hussien
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19, Malaria, Epidemiology, Disease Burden, African Region
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.12 No.4,
November
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Assessing global health status includes tracking illness, disability, and mortality. Environmental and social factors as well as health initiatives impact people’s health. Assessing health outcomes in terms of mortality and morbidity, which are included in the global disease burden, is critical for monitoring progress in development and health, as well as for selecting how to allocate available resources effectively, to achieve positive health outcomes. Studies on the epidemiology, burden, and challenges of COVID-19 and malaria remain scarce. There isn’t much information on how malaria susceptibility and immune response are affected by co-infection with COVID-19, and vice versa. This article highlights the commonalities between malaria and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reviews the epidemiology, burden, and challenges of each, and outlines how global health authorities have responded to the burden and challenges. Methods: We used The World Health Organization Disease Situation Dashboard as the primary resource for obtaining information on malaria and COVID-19. The World Malaria Reports for 2020 and 2021 were used as the primary sources for the statistics on malaria. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Results: The number of malaria deaths and cases has decreased significantly worldwide since 2000, but the African region continues to bear the greatest burden of malaria. The highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in the Americas, followed by Europe. The burden is lighter in Southeast Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, the western Pacific, and Africa. There has been a decline in the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in areas where malaria is endemic. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden of malaria in Africa. Conclusion: Public health authorities should consider taking necessary preventive measures to fight malaria and COVID-19 in a timely manner and ensure continuous healthcare for those who are affected by these diseases.