Global trends in the burden of malaria: Contemporary diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies
1 Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
2 Laboratory Department, Holy Child Catholic Hospital, Takoradi, Ghana.
3 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Development Studies, Ghana.
4 Department of Medical laboratory Technology, Accra Technical University, Ghana.
5 Laboratory Department, ST. Gregory Catholic Hospital, Central Region, Ghana.
6 Department of Biosciences, School of health and life sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 20(01), 258–272
Publication history:
Received on 25 August 2023; revised on 02 October 2023; accepted on 05 October 2023
Abstract:
Malaria continues to pose a significant global health challenge, with 247 million cases reported in 2021, primarily concentrated in African countries. Despite substantial progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths over the past two decades, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems, resulting in a temporary increase in cases and deaths in 2020. Nevertheless, between 2000 and 2021, an estimated 2 billion malaria cases and 11.7 million deaths were averted, with the majority occurring in the WHO African Region.
Accurate diagnosis remains pivotal for effective malaria treatment, and various diagnostic methods have been employed, each with its own limitations. The effectiveness of these methods varies across different populations and environments. To combat the resurgence of malaria and the limitations of current interventions, there is a growing need for new technologies and integrated diagnosis and treatment. This paper reviews global trends in the burden of malaria; contemporary diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies.
Keywords:
Malaria; Diagnosis; Microscopy; Global
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0