ANKARA 

At a time, when the entire world is focused to stem the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) has asked African countries not to let their guard down while combating another killer disease malaria.

An expert expressed fear that with all focus on controlling the pandemic, there is a possibility of relapse of malaria, which kills more people in the continent than any other disease.

Quoting a recent analysis, the WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidio Moeti said if interventions stop at this time, there is a possibility of more malaria-related deaths.

''With partners, we are studying the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the malaria situation. A recent analysis has found that if insecticide-treated bed net distribution stops and case management reduces, malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could double in comparison to 2018,” she said.

Continuing prevention and treatment will ensure that health workers and communities are protected, Moeti said in a statement on Thursday ahead of World Malaria Day that will be commemorated on Saturday.

''So, I urge and encourage all countries to maintain malaria interventions, in line with WHO recommendations to ensure that health workers and communities are protected,'' said the WHO official.

''We saw with the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa that we lost more people to diseases that we previously were managing to control, like malaria, than we lost to the outbreak itself,'' she said. ''Let us not repeat that with COVID-19,'' she added.

According to the latest World malaria report, released in December 2019, 228 million cases of malaria were reported in 2018 with 405,000 deaths.

The African continent is home to 94% of malaria deaths.

Malaria is transmitted to humans through infected mosquito bites. Although malaria is preventable and even curable, it still turns out a life-threatening disease, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. People who contract malaria typically get high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.