Malaria deaths are surging in Ethiopia, particularly in the Oromia region, where ongoing conflict disrupts healthcare services. Lema Tefera lost four children to the disease due to a lack of treatment. The World Health Organization reports over 7.3 million malaria cases and significant fatalities in Ethiopia, worsened by climate change and reduced aid. Experts are warning of a growing crisis as more cases appear during the dry season.
ADDIS ABABA, March 4 — Lema Tefera, a farmer from Ethiopia’s Oromia region, conveyed the deep sorrow of losing four children to malaria within a single month, attributing their deaths to the ongoing conflict that hinders access to medical care. “There was no malaria medication and treatment in our village due to the fighting,” he stated, highlighting the severe implications of the violence on health services in the area.
Africa currently accounts for approximately 95 percent of the estimated 250 million malaria cases and over 600,000 deaths recorded globally annually, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). The situation in Ethiopia’s Oromia region is reportedly deteriorating in the context of an ongoing conflict that began in 2018 between the government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), resulting in substantial disruptions to healthcare delivery.
Experts emphasize that the combination of climate change and ongoing violence presents a “perfect storm,” exacerbating the conditions for malaria proliferation. Subsistence farmers, like Lema, who have lost children to this disease, epitomize the vulnerable populations affected by these interlinked crises.
According to the WHO, there were around 7.3 million malaria cases reported in Ethiopia, with 1,157 fatalities from January to October last year. Alarmingly, these statistics have doubled since 2023, with almost half of the reported cases and deaths originating from Oromia, a region that constitutes over a third of the country’s landmass.
The conflict has substantially disrupted the supply of anti-malarial drugs, leading to a reported collapse of health facilities in the region. Gemechu Biftu, executive director of the Oromia Physicians Association, noted that previously programmed supplies of medication are no longer accessible due to ongoing hostilities.
With no resolution to the conflict in sight, the government continues to classify the OLA as a terrorist organization, and attempted peace negotiations in Tanzania in 2023 failed to yield results. Legesse Bulcha, director of the Nejo General Hospital in West Wollega, reported that malaria now comprises 70 percent of patient admissions, a drastic increase from prior years.
The impact of climate change on the proliferation of malaria is also significant. Experts indicate that rising temperatures foster conditions conducive to the spread of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Legesse noted that cases are now occurring even during the dry season, presenting an alarming shift in transmission patterns.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Ethiopia co-ordinator Rachelle Seguin identified 2024 as potentially marking record levels of malaria incidence in Ethiopia, asserting that multiple factors converge to create this crisis. She expressed concern that the impending rainy season between June and September could exacerbate the situation even further.
A significant factor in this healthcare crisis is the reduction in U.S. aid, with President Donald Trump implementing a funding freeze that hinders malaria control efforts across the region. Nuredin Luke, a doctor based in Oromia, warned that this funding reduction would likely result in increased morbidity and mortality for malaria and other communicable diseases.
In his isolated village, thousands of miles from policymaking corridors, Lema Telefa continues to grapple with profound grief while relying on relatives for support in the wake of his children’s deaths. “I have been completely depressed,” he expressed, revealing the profound personal toll of this tragedy and the wider implications of the ongoing crisis.
The crisis of malaria in Ethiopia, exacerbated by conflict and climate change, has resulted in significant loss of life, particularly in the Oromia region. The disruption of healthcare services due to ongoing violence has left vulnerable populations without access to necessary treatments, causing staggering increases in malaria cases and fatalities. The potential impact of reduced foreign aid on malaria control further complicates the situation, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and support.
Original Source: www.malaymail.com
