Concept

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on the Global Response to Malaria

In order to control the spread of malaria, high-risk endemic countries habitually provide insecticide-treated nets to their respective populations during door-to-door distribution campaigns. Yet, due to lockdowns in effect, distribution of these vital nets has attenuated in regions endemic to malaria. Even with lockdown-related delays in the production and delivery of malaria medication, the pandemic has accelerated demand for COVID-19 diagnostic tests and therapies. This expanded demand for COVID-19 tests and therapies has further engendered shortages and price increases for malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and active pharmaceutical ingredients in malaria medications. Ultimately, disruptions to malaria prevention and treatment could result in annual malaria deaths doubling to 769,000 in 2020. In high-burden settings, deaths attributable to malaria over 5 years could increase by up to 36%.

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Updated 2025-10-22

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SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

Biomedical Sciences