Malaria tests dipped 37.2%, cases rose by 14% in 2020: BMC

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the detection of malaria cases has taken a backseat

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the detection of malaria cases has taken a backseat. The number of tests for malaria in 2020 fell by 37.2% compared to 2019, even as cases increased by 14% last year, as per data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Medical experts said drop in tests is likely to hinder the civic body’s antimalarial drive, which helped in attaining zero casualties caused by the mosquito-borne disease in 2019. In addition, malaria infection among Covid-recovered patients with compromised immunity can prove to be more fatal.

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Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female anopheles mosquitoes.

Every year, the city records around 5,500 cases of malaria. The highest number of cases is recorded during monsoon due to stagnant water which turns into breeding grounds for anopheles mosquitoes.

Data provided by BMC shows that on an average, over 1 million tests are conducted every year to diagnose malaria patients. However, in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic started, only 882,771 tests were being conducted while, 1,405,758 tests were done in 2019, showing a 37.2% drop in testing last year.

Dr T Jacob John, virologist and retired professor at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, said Mumbai has a long history of “urban malaria” cases and therefore ignoring it may lead to under-reporting of cases and related deaths.

“Healthcare facilities are running only on one-sixth manpower. It is impossible for health departments to handle Covid-19 pandemic along with diseases like malaria, which is considered as a disease of the poor. But ignoring diseases like malaria, dengue and tuberculosis will bite the health system later,” said John.

There are two types of malaria — Falciparum malaria, considered most dangerous affecting organs like brain, liver, adrenal gland, intestinal tract, kidneys, lungs, and the other is Vivax malaria which is considered non-deadly.

Health activists warn that amid the pandemic, people already infected with Covid-19 have low immunity. So, post-Covid malaria infection may further worsen the health condition.

“It is a ticking bomb. Recovered patients are still struggling with fatigue and low immunity. They cannot afford to contract malaria with such compromised health conditions. People in slums will be the most-affected ones,” said Brinelle D’Souza, senior faculty at Tata Institute of Social Sciences and co-convener of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan-Mumbai. “If BMC turns a blind eye to malaria cases, it would not only worsen the situation but also affect policy-level interventions. If cases go unreported, we may miss on the essential data which is required for policy planning,” she added.

Data shows that since 2017, the lowest number of tests was recorded in 2020. In 2017, of 1,389,440 tests conducted 6,019 diagnosed with malaria. In 2018, 5,036 of 1,376,185 tests done tested positive for the disease. This year till May 31, 1,358 people have been diagnosed with malaria of 406,472 tested.

In 2019, for the first time in a decade, the city recorded zero malaria deaths. Medical experts believe that fewer tests can hinder the anti-malaria drive of BMC.

“With the gradual relaxation of lockdown, the movement of people outside has increased. Citizens are going to gardens and parks, which exposes them to mosquito bites. Also, construction sites have opened which become breeding grounds for mosquitoes due to stagnant water. So, we cannot ignore malaria which proves fatal if not treated in time,” said Dr Abhijit More, a health activist.

Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer of BMC, said, “Last year, our priority was Covid-19, so we mostly focused on it. Due to the lockdown last year, many people could not reach hospital on time. But the situation has improved this year. We are doing enough testing.”

As HT reported, last year monsoon-related illnesses except malaria and swine flu cases dropped by over 50% compared to 2019. In 2020, the city had reported 237 cases of leptospirosis, 128 dengue, 2,478 gastrointestinal and 259 cases of hepatitis. In 2019, 281 cases of leptospirosis, 920 dengue, 7,785 gastrointestinal, and 1,534 cases of hepatitis were recorded. Swine flu incidence in the city also saw a huge fall as the number of cases dropped to 44 in 2020 from 451 the previous year.

“Now, as Mumbai is recording heavy rain, the number of malaria cases is likely to rise next month,” said Dr John.