Hari Malaria Sedunia disambut setiap tahun pada 25 April di seluruh dunia bagi menyatakan komitmen berterusan untuk pencegahan dan kawalan penyakit malaria. Pada tahun ini, Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) telah menetapkan tema sambutan adalah ‘Sifar Malaria Bermula Dari Kita’ (Zero Malaria Starts With Me).

Untuk makluman, Malaysia telah berjaya mengekalkan status sifar malaria manusia jangkitan tempatan (indigenous) sejak tahun 2018 lagi. Status berkenaan telah berjaya dikekalkan sepanjang tahun 2019 dan terkini setakat tempoh Januari hingga 18 April 2020. Kejayaan untuk kekal sifar sejak 2018 perlu diteruskan untuk tiga tahun berturut-turut bagi melayakkan Malaysia mendapatkan Pensijilan Eliminasi Malaria manusia jangkitan tempatan (indigenous) daripada WHO pada tahun 2021.

See the full list of countries and territories certified malaria-free by WHO here

Walaupun Malaysia telah mencapai sifar malaria manusia jangkitan tempatan (indigenous) sejak 2018, namun malaria zoonotik yang berpunca dari monyet dan kes malaria import dari negara luar masih dilaporkan di negara ini. Pada tahun 2019, sebanyak 3,941 kes malaria daripada pelbagai punca telah dilaporkan di mana daripada jumlah tersebut, 3,223 (81.8%) kes adalah malaria zoonotik, 620 (15.7%) kes adalah malaria import dan 98 (2.5%) kes adalah daripada lain-lain punca jangkitan. Pada tahun yang sama, sebanyak enam (6) kematian dilaporkan di mana kesemuanya melibatkan jangkitan kes malaria zoonotik daripada spesis Plasmodium Knowlesi.

Negara kini sedang berhadapan dengan pandemik COVID-19 yang memberi implikasi besar terhadap sistem penjagaan kesihatan awam termasuk kawalan penyakit berjangkit di mana kawalan penyakit malaria juga tidak terkecuali. Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) untuk menghalang penularan jangkitan COVID-19 telah dilaksanakan ke seluruh negara bermula 18 Mac 2020. Di samping melaksanakan aktiviti pencegahan jangkitan COVID-19, terdapat tindakan kritikal untuk pencegahan penyakit berjangkit lain termasuk malaria yang perlu diteruskan. Sehubungan itu, KKM telah mengambil langkah-langkah yang perlu bagi memastikan aktiviti kawalan dan pencegahan malaria tidak terjejas agar kejayaan yang dicapai oleh Malaysia sejak 2018 iaitu sifar malaria manusia jangkitan tempatan (indigenous) akan dapat dikekalkan.

Inovasi pencegahan malaria semasa tempoh PKP diwujudkan melalui modifikasi tindakan kritikal di lapangan dengan tujuan pencegahan jangkitan malaria di komuniti dan pada masa yang sama bagi memastikan anggota kesihatan sentiasa terlindung daripada jangkitan COVID-19. Di dalam hal ini, KKM mengutamakan semua kes dan wabak untuk diambil tindakan segera. Modifikasi kaedah kawalan vektor (nyamuk pembawa malaria) juga dilaksanakan dengan mengedarkan kelambu berubat dari rumah ke rumah bagi mengelakkan perhimpunan di dalam komuniti dan mengekalkan penjarakan sosial. Di samping itu, KKM juga memastikan bekalan peralatan untuk diagnosa dan ubat-ubatan malaria tidak terjejas. Saringan malaria di kalangan kumpulan berisiko juga masih diteruskan.

Sempena Sambutan Hari Malaria Sedunia tahun 2020, KKM berharap penglibatan komuniti dan agensi lain dalam pencegahan penyakit malaria dapat dipertingkatkan. Komuniti dinasihatkan agar melaksanakan tindakan seperti berikut:

1. Penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan pedalaman perlu mengamalkan langkah-langkah pencegahan seperti memakai pakaian yang melindungi keseluruhan badan daripada gigitan nyamuk dan menggunakan ubat penghalau nyamuk (mosquito repellent). Elakkan berada di luar rumah pada waktu malam;
2. Syarikat perladangan perlu memastikan pekerja mereka sentiasa dilindungi daripada gigitan nyamuk dengan membekalkan kelambu berubat dan melaksanakan aktiviti pencegahan malaria yang lain seperti semburan racun residual; dan
3. Penduduk perlu mendapatkan rawatan segera di klinik atau hospital berdekatan sekiranya mengalami gejala malaria seperti demam, sejuk menggigil, berpeluh dan lemah tubuh badan.

Bertindak sekarang, ‘Sifar Malaria Bermula Dari Kita’ (Zero Malaria Starts With Me).

DATUK DR. NOOR HISHAM BIN ABDULLAH

Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan Malaysia

25 April 2020

PRESS STATEMENT

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA

IN CONJUNCTION WITH WORLD MALARIA DAY 2020  

World Malaria Day is observed every year on 25^th April to recognise global efforts to prevent and control malaria. The theme of World Malaria Day 2020 as proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) is “Zero Malaria Starts with Me”.

Malaysia has successfully maintained its zero indigenous human malaria infection status since 2018. This status has been kept through 2019 and up until 18 April 2020. Malaysia must sustain its success of achieving zero indigenous malaria infection for at least three consecutive years to qualify for WHO’s Malaria Elimination Certification by 2021.

Although Malaysia has achieved zero indigenous human malaria infection since 2018, zoonotic malaria from monkeys and imported malaria cases from overseas are still reported in the country. In 2019, there were 3,941 malaria from various sources reported of which 3,223 (81.8%) cases were zoonotic malaria, 620 (15.7%) cases were imported malaria and 98 (2.5%) cases were from other sources of infection. In the same year, there were six (6) reported deaths, all of which were attributed to zoonotic malaria from the Plasmodium knowlesi species.

The country is currently facing the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused enormous implications on the public healthcare system including infectious diseases control of which malaria has not been excluded. The Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented nationwide since 18 March 2020 to prevent further COVID-19 infection transmission. Apart from implementing COVID-19 infection prevention activities, critical actions to prevent and control malaria have not been neglected. In this regard, the Ministry has taken the needed steps to ensure malaria control and prevention activities are not interrupted and the gains of achieving zero indigenous malaria since 2018 are not lost.

Malaysia has formulated and implemented innovative malaria prevention strategies during the MCO by modifying critical actions on the field for malaria prevention, while concurrently protecting health personnel from the risk of COVID-19 infection. In this context, the Ministry has put great emphasis for prompt action in the control of malaria cases and outbreaks. The implementation of malaria vector control has been modified with house-to-house distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) to avoid community gathering and maintain social distancing. The Ministry will also ensure that key malaria commodities supplies such as diagnostic equipment and ant-malaria medicines are not interrupted. Malaria screening among high-risk groups have also continued.

In conjunction with the World Malaria Day 2020, the Ministry of Health hopes that participation from the community and relevant agencies will be intensified. Members of the community are advised to take the following preventive actions:

1. Residents living in the interior regions should practice preventive measures such as wearing clothes that cover the whole body and the use of mosquito repellent to protect themselves from mosquito bites. They should also avoid outdoor activities at night;
2. Plantation companies must supply medicated bed nets to their workers to protect them from mosquito bites and carry out other malaria control activities such as Indoor Residual spraying; and

• Residents with symptoms suggestive of malaria such as fever, chills and rigors should seek early treatment from the nearest health clinic or hospital.

Act now, ‘Zero Malaria Starts With Me’

DATUK DR. NOOR HISHAM BIN ABDULLAH

Director General of Health

25 April 2020