Incidence Rate Of Malaria In Malaysia Reduced To 18.6 Per 100,000 Last Year

Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- The incidence rate of malaria in Malaysia was down to 18.6 per 100,000 population last year from 318.6 per 100,000 in 1980, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said on Wednesday.

He said under the country's National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Malaria (NSPEM) (2011-2020), Malaysia targeted to eliminate locally-acquired malaria by 2020.

"Our elimination target is set at a reduction of 20 per cent locally-acquired malaria yearly," he said in his keynote address at the launching of the Drugs for Neglected Disease Intiative (DNDi) jubilee celebrations, here.

Liow also launched DNDi's most recent initiative, the new fixed-dose combination treatment of Artesunate-Mefloquine or better known as AS-MQ FDC, developed using a unique partnership model with researchers from Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Thailand and Malaysia, through Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Institute for Medical Research.

He said the Health Ministry was aware of the potential threats and challenges to the elimination, and these included the importation of cases from malaria-endemic neighbouring countries, particularly the multi-drug resistant strains from Myanmar and Thailand.

Last year, 21.9 per cent of malaria cases in Malaysia were imported.