Five Lakh Malaria Cases Every Year Warning Signal for PAK

Poor sanitation and vector control in Pakistan is resulting in sharp rise in malaria cases and according to the Health Report 2011 of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) every year about 500000 new cases of malaria are being reported in the country. Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells. Recent devastating floods in Pakistan sent vast areas of Pakistan inundated in floodwater, further raising the spread of malaria in the country. In October 2010, World Health Organization (WHO) said almost 300,000 suspected malaria cases, including confirmed cases of the severe falciparum-malaria, have been recorded in flood-affected areas of Pakistan since 29 July 2010, an overall number which is slightly above the average annual malaria seasonal levels.