Malaysia Set To Be Malaria-Free By 2020 - Expert

SERDANG (Selangor, Malaysia), March 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is expected to be a malaria-free country by 2020 following continuous efforts by the Health Ministry to control the disease. Medical Parasitology expert at University Malaya's Faculty of Medicine, Professor Dr Fong Mun Yik said efforts made by the ministry to gain the malaria-free status from the World Health Organisation included providing vaccines as well as organising various awareness campaigns. "Following this proactive efforts, we see the consistent downward trend in the number of malaria cases in Malaysia from 2001 to 2016. "The speed with which the ministry and relevant bodies responded to each report of Malaria infection also proves the government's seriousness in attaining the 'green nation' status, which is to be malaria-free," he told reporters after appearing as a panel speaker at the Malaysian Genetics Association Seminar 2017 at Universiti Putra Malaysia here Tuesday. Dr Fong said the malaria epidemic had two modes of infection, one from human to human and the other from animal to human. "Infections between humans, or 'urban malaria' usually happens in urban areas which are brought about by foreign workers and students who have not been vaccinated. He said in rural areas, the disease could spread through monkeys who are carriers of the disease, before infecting humans near them through mosquito bites. Among the species which are carriers of malaria are the long tail monkey, the pig tail monkey, and the silverleaf monkey. -- BERNAMA