A new medical report, prepared with the participation of health program officials from African countries and continental organizations, indicated that young children have become highly vulnerable to malaria infection in African countries with the onset of the rainy season and the proliferation of mosquitoes in stagnant water.

The report stated that the World Health Organization estimated malaria deaths at 600,000 people in Africa, noting that 4 out of 5 deaths are children under five years old.

Officials involved in preparing the report expressed concern about the significant and sudden cuts in malaria control funding resulting from changes in US policy, pointing out that with the approaching rainy season and the start of planning for prevention campaigns, time is running out to find alternative funding solutions.

Seasonal malaria prevention is a key intervention to protect young children from the disease, recommended by the WHO since 2012 to reduce high rates of mortality and morbidity.

The strategy, based on chemical prevention and developed by the WHO, has significantly reduced cases to the extent that hospitals are no longer overwhelmed with large numbers of malaria patients.

Moreover, chemical prevention is relatively low-cost, with the cost of 4 doses for one child ranging between 4 and 6 dollars annually, saving millions of dollars for families and health systems.

In 2021, an analysis showed that 7 countries implementing the chemical prevention program saved their health systems about 66 million dollars and increased economic productivity by approximately 43 million.

However, the authors of the report believe that any suspension of campaigns, even for one season, could lead to a significant increase in infections, deaths, and severe economic losses.

At a recent meeting held in Togo for member governments of the Malaria Control Alliance, concerns were raised about the inability to conduct any campaign during the current season due to funding shortages to address security priorities in the region.

These concerns and challenges are more pronounced in the Sahara and Sahel regions of West Africa, where populations live far from medical facilities, and governments suffer from a shortage of health workers.

Regarding alternative plans for chemical treatment, the authors proposed adopting continuous treatment currently received by fewer than 4 million children out of 35 million in Africa.

Trials conducted in Mali and Burkina Faso showed that combining prevention and treatment tools has a significant impact on protecting children, especially in remote geographic areas.

The report issued an urgent call to African governments, the local private sector, and international donors to prioritize malaria prevention and accelerate efforts towards its eradication.

A new resource mobilization cycle for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria is scheduled for October, and observers believe it is necessary to increase its resources to restore effectiveness after years of stagnation in disease eradication efforts due to funding shortages.