World Malaria Day 2023 will be marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. Within this theme, WHO will focus on the third “i” – implement – and notably the critical importance of reaching marginalized populations with the tools and strategies that are available today.
In 2021, there have been 619 malaria deaths.
According to the latest World malaria report, countries have made some progress in expanding access to malaria services for most-at-risk populations. However, too many people at high risk of malaria are still missing out on the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease.
Challenges in expanding access to malaria services have been compounded, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, converging humanitarian crises, restricted funding, weak surveillance systems, and declines in the effectiveness of core malaria-fighting tools.
A number of malaria vaccines are currently in development. Like the RTS,S vaccine, many of them target the malaria parasite before it enters the human liver where it can quickly multiply. The most advanced of these candidates is R21, which recently completed Phase 3 clinical trials. Other vaccine candidates seek to stop transmission of the malaria parasite, and still others to protect women during pregnancy.
World Multiple Sclerosis Day, falling on May 30, invites dialogue on the disease. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive disease where the insulating covers of the nervous system are damaged. MS is also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata, and its symptoms include muscle weakness, double vision, and mental/physical problems. Due to the lack of research studies on the disease, the exact causes behind it are generally unknown. Many scientists believe that there might be a connection between the onset of the disease and genes and/or nerve-cell dysfunction. Furthermore, there is no permanent cure as of yet. The symptoms can be relieved using the right set of treatments and medication.
The day is celebrated and observed to raise awareness about this life-threatening disease and to encourage people to come together in order to prevent it.
About the Day
Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of the Sick 2022
Nicking your finger with a knife while chopping some tomatoes for a salad is just a nuisance for most of us—we utter a choice word or two, rinse the cut, apply a disinfectant and maybe a band-aid, and then proceed to go on with our lives. The same goes for, say, tripping and falling—most of us will just get up and keep on going, not giving the situation any more thought and barely noticing the bruise that may appear afterward. Unfortunately, there are people whose very lives may be put in danger because of such seemingly minor accidents: hemophiliacs.
World Parkinson’s Disease Day marks the birthday of Dr. J Parkinson. On this day there are efforts made to increase the public awareness of this terrible disease, as well as all the good works put forth by the world’s organizations dedicated to eradicating this disease.