Society

National Institute of Statistics ranks malaria highest killer in 2022.

by Mboro Mesumbe Bwang
09 Oct 2024 20:09
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File photo of health worker administering malaria vaccine

The National Institute of Statistics, NIS, has ranked malaria among highest killer diseases in the country in the year 2022. The information was made public by NIS in its recent report on civil status statistics, which covers the years 2018 to 2022.
According to the report, malaria is the leading cause of death in Cameroon and it is responsible for 51.7% of deaths in 2022.

According to NIS, the data collected is based on data from the Health Information Management System, DHIS2, which paints a grim picture of the country’s health landscape.

“The ten leading causes of death in Cameroon accounted for 83.5% of all deaths in 2021 and 83.4% in 2022 and malaria stands out as the dominant threat, responsible for 46.9% of deaths in 2021 before surging to 51.7% in 2022,” part of the report read.

Malaria, NIS stated, remains top killer across all age groups as in 2022 alone, 2,481 deaths were attributed to malaria, down from 4,000 in 2021. Despite this decline, malaria’s devastating toll, NIS said, is felt most acutely among children under five, where it accounted for a staggering 60% of deaths.

HIV, Acute malnutrition…also cited

NIS, in its report, regretted that while malaria's grip persists, HIV continues to pose a significant challenge, especially among adults.

The report ranked HIV-related illnesses second killer disease in the country, contributing to 12.6% of deaths in 2022, a rise from 10% in 2021.

Acute malnutrition and infectious intestinal diseases took third and fourth place respectively, though their share of deaths decreased in 2022.

Acute malnutrition, in particular, is a major issue among children under five, while infectious intestinal diseases predominantly affect those in middle childhood.

Stakeholders called to action

According to NIS, the report is expected to serve as a catalyst for reflection and call to action for all stakeholders involved in the health system to form a synergy to better fight malaria, which has a clear dominance, especially among vulnerable children.

The institutions equally regretted that despite global progress in fighting malaria and HIV, these diseases continue to claim thousands of lives in the country each year.

“Health authorities and international partners must continue working together to improve civil status statistics, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and expand access to life-saving treatments in the fight against these persistent killers,” the report stated.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3253 of Tuesday October 08, 2024