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CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov 09 2015 – As of 17 Oct 2015, Venezuela has recorded 105,757 cases of malaria, the Ministry of Health announced through a Comprehensive Environmental Health Bulletin.
Since 1936, when recording of epidemiological data began in the country, they have never had so many infections. The figure accumulated for 2015 indicates an epidemic situation which, if compared with the previous 5 years, represents an increase of 110 percent.
Dr Jose Felix Oletta, spokesperson for the National Epidemiological Defense Network and former minister of health, advised that, “the risk is that the diseases spreads to any area in which the vector exists — malaria is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito — which translates to more than 85 percent of the country (with the exception of areas of more than 800 meters [2625 ft] of altitude). At one time it was said that Venezuela was an ocean of malaria. Such is the magnitude of the problem.”
Most cases are concentrated in the states of Bolivar, with 80 percent of cases (84,418 cases), and Amazonas, with 13.6 per cent of cases. Delta Amacuro, Monagas, Sucre, Apure, Zulia, and Guarico also have the epidemic. Oletta indicated that, according to a study done by the Network, all of the cases of malaria originated in Bolivar.
Oletta comments that the problem is in the inefficiency of the National Program for the Control of Malaria. “For endemic illnesses, they dedicate less than one percent of the Ministry of Health budget.
We need an investment of USD 20 million annually to treat dengue, chikungunya, and malaria.” In 2014, although the population at risk of contracting malaria was of 800,000 people, the ministry admitted to
purchasing only 3000 mosquito nets, one of the tools for prevention of the illness.
He worries that, of the 105 757 cases, the Network found that more than 10,000 were in children under 10 years of age. “They have higher risks of complications and of developing more serious illnesses,”
alerted Oletta.
