LUANDA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Angolan Ministry of Health announced Tuesday that over 12,400 deaths were caused by malaria in 2022, representing an 8.7 percent drop compared to the number of deaths recorded in 2021.
According to a press release issued by the ministry on World Malaria Day, which falls on April 25, malaria is a severe public health issue in Angola. It is the leading cause of both morbidity and mortality.
The press release also said that in 2022, there were 9,211,346 reported cases of malaria in Angola, up 0.4 percent from 2021. This is attributed to reduced access to malaria diagnosis and treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related confinement measures.
The Ministry of Health plans to continue to encourage and ensure that partners, private sector organizations, civil society organizations, and academia pay more attention to the fight against malaria and invest more in research on this disease, in hopes of accelerating technological advancements and innovations to end Malaria by 2030.
According to Jose Franco Martins, the national coordinator of the Program to Fight Against Malaria, 2,673 people died of malaria in Angola in the first quarter of 2023. ■