The pandemic caused an increase in the number of deaths due to malaria

The disruption of health services at the start of the COVVI-19 pandemic and containment measures contributed to a sharp increase in malaria and mental health disorders in the world, according to a new analysis (new window).

Chinese researchers have analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, a database that assesses mortality and invalidity on the planet. They studied trends in 204 countries for 174 diseases, between 1990 and 2021.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)shows how the pressure exerted on health systems by COVVI-19 cases has led to collateral health damage.

Researchers observed that malaria experienced a marked resurgence from the first year of the pandemic. In children under the age of 5, the number of deaths due to malaria increased by 14 % in 2020 and 2021. Twenty African countries are particularly affected.

The systematic distribution of mosquito nets, access to antimalarial drugs and communities awareness programs have been largely disrupted. Several governments had to divert their health resources to combat COVVI-19. This has decreased the frequency of diagnostics and treatments.

For study authors, this is a significant decline in the progress of the fight against malaria. They estimate that there were 14 million additional malaria cases and 69,000 more dead in 2020 compared to 2019. According to the authors, two thirds of these deaths are directly attributable to the disruption of the services to combat malaria.

For the World Health Organization (WHO), these figures show how sudden interruptions of services to combat malaria can be fatal.

History has shown us what’s going on if we lowered custody in the face of malariawarned in April (new window) Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Director of the World Malaria For the Malaria Program of theOMS. In 1969, the global eradication effort was abandoned [en raison du manque de progrès lié à la résistance aux médicaments et aux insecticides et du manque de fonds internationaux]which led to an upsurge in cases and deaths. It took almost 30 years for leaders around the world to meet and resume their momentum.

The WHO warns that the expected reduction in the United States in this struggle jeopardizes millions of additional lives. Between 2010 and 2023, the United States contributed on average to 37 % of global funding for the fight against malaria.

Other exacerbated diseases

Among the 174 diseases analyzed, there was an increase in the burden of morbidity for 38 of them.

For example, depression and anxiety disorders have increased by around 15 %, in more than half of the countries studied. Women and adults aged 15 to 49 were the most affected by this increase.

Social isolation, lifestyle changes and restricted access to health care has contributed to this increase, write the authors.

But they also highlight the fact that, according to research, (new window) A sras-cov-2 infection can trigger an abnormal response from the immune system, resulting in chronic inflammation of low intensity (one of the hypotheses explaining the long covid). This inflammation can affect the balance of neurotransmitters, in particular 5-hydroxytryptophan and serotonin (new window)which are linked to the regulation of emotions, thus increasing the risk of depressive and anxious disorders.

The pandemic also led to an increase in cerebral vascular accidents and ischemic heart disease in the elderly.

In women, there is also an increase in the prevalence of cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, fungal skin diseases and urinary diseases.

In men, more vitamin A shortcomings have been observed and an increase in the prevalence of blindness and loss of vision and hearing.

In children, increases have been noted in the prevalence of higher respiratory tract infections.

If the implementation of social and public health measures has been essential to alleviate viral transmissionwrite the authors, The pandemic has disrupted essential health services, weakened the surveillance of diseases and exacerbated health inequalities. This has highlighted important gaps in the resilience of health systems.

Researchers write (new window) that governments must improve their ability to maintain essential services and data collection during health emergencies.