World Malaria Day : for a more equitable world
Malaria still affects half of the world’s population and kills more than 600,000 people every year, 80% of whom are children under the age of 5, according to WHO figures. Throughout the week, the network of 130 Artemisia Houses in 28 countries is mobilising, organising conferences, radio and TV broadcasts, raising awareness and distributing herbal tea. This year, the famous Congolese singer Zao has remastered his hit song “Mosquitoe” to raise awareness among young people, pregnant women and mothers, and to use Artemisia to combat the disease more effectively.
Listen to Zao’s song about Artemisia : here
The theme of this year’s World Malaria Day is : accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world. Infants, children under the age of five, pregnant women, displaced persons and indigenous peoples are all at greater risk of serious infection. In 2022, the WHO estimated that 12.7 million pregnancies (36%) in Africa were exposed to malaria infection, resulting in the birth of 914,000 low-birth-weight babies. Women and young mothers are also on the front line when their children or relatives are ill, as they have to stay at home and look after them. Absenteeism from work and dropping out of school exacerbate social and economic inequalities. The fight against malaria is therefore a major challenge for improving the daily lives, education and economic prospects of many African women and girls.
La Maison de l’Artemisia, 12 years of fighting for the development of Artemisia afra and annua, a local, effective, accessible and sustainable plant to combat malaria. The Maison de l’Artemisia is a humanitarian network dedicated to improving knowledge of medicinal plants (in particular Artemisia annua and afra) to combat malaria and other diseases with a One Health approach (human, animal and environmental health), while promoting micro-economic development through the creation of local, sustainable supply chains.
In 12 years, the Maison de l’Artemisia has :
– Gathered a scientific and technical community around Artemisia,
– Helped to set up and develop 130 Artemisia Houses (production, marketing, training and awareness-raising centres around Artemisia) in 28 countries,
– Carried out thousands of awareness-raising and training sessions in villages, schools, markets, businesses, hospitals, etc.
– Distributed more than 10 million treatments- Reduced absenteeism from school and work, particularly in farming communities
– Reduced health costs in many schools, businesses, orphanages, etc.
A few figures
– Malaria affects 3 billion people living in malaria-infected areas, i.e. half the world’s population.
– 249 million cases in 2022 according to the WHO (95% of cases in Africa), a figure that has been rising since 2019. 5 million more cases of malaria in 2022 than in 2021.
– 12.7 million pregnancies exposed to infection in Africa in 2022
– 608,000 deaths in 2022, 80% of which were children under the age of 5.
– Emergence of resistance to insecticides and drugs
– 30% of absenteeism from school and work
– Estimated real cost: 1.3 points of growth for Africa each year
