Malaria has re-emerged as a major cause of morbidity in Pakistan. The disease mainly affects the less prosperous districts, with suboptimal health care service delivery, lying along the international borders with Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
With an estimated burden of 1.5 million cases annually, Pakistan has been categorized by WHO in the Group 3 countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, along with Afghanistan, Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen. These countries account for sharing 95% of the total regional malaria burden.
Mass population movements within the country and across international borders, unpredictable transmission patterns, the low immune status of the population, climatic changes, poor socioeconomic conditions, declining health infrastructure, resource constraints, poor access to preventive and curative services, and mounting drug and insecticide resistance in parasites and vectors, all contribute to this huge disease burden.
Malaria control and elimination programme
The recognition of malaria as a major health threat, retarding socioeconomic development, underscores the need for an effective malaria control and elimination programme at all levels in Pakistan. This is also necessary in order to fulfill international and national commitments enshrined in the Millenium Development Goals, Roll Back Malaria Partnership and regional declarations.
National and provincial health authorities, in close coordination with WHO and development partners, have been striving to reduce the burden of malaria disease in the high endemic regions of the country through the implementation of effective control strategies based on the global and regional malaria control and elimination initiative.
Since 2001, when Pakistan joined the global Roll Back Malaria Partnership, substantial progress has been made in the following key areas:
strategic planning and policy development at national and provincial levels
adaptation of new interventions
ban on the production and use of artemesinin monotherapies
linkages with national and international partners
strengthening surveillance
guidelines and training manuals
operational research
coordination with Afghanistan and Islamic Republic of Iran for malaria control.
Related links
Technical support for health system strengthening to support AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria control in Pakistan
27 January 2015