WHO E-2025 initiative

About the initiative:

• On 21 April 2021, ahead of World Malaria Day, WHO launched the E-2025 initiative to halt the transmission of malaria in 25 identified countries by 2025.
• Countries were identified by WHO across four key criteria:
  • The establishment of a government-endorsed elimination plan.
  • Meeting a defined threshold of malaria case reductions in recent years.
  • A designated governmental agency for malaria elimination and the capacity to confirm 100% of suspected malaria cases in a laboratory.
  • Selected by the Malaria Elimination Oversight Committee.
• Three of these countries are from Africa namely Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa.
• From South Asia, Nepal has been selected for the initiative.

About Malaria:

• Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites.
• The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, called "malaria vectors."
• There are 5 parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat.
• World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends DDT as one of the efficient Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) chemicals to curb malaria mosquito menace.
• DDT is widely used by Southern African countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, etc and India.

Prelims Question:

WHO’s E-2025 initiative is related to elimination of:
(a)Chicken Pox
(b)Malaria
(c)Sleeping Sickness
(d)Dengue

Answer to Prelims question