The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the context in which global health prioritization and resource allocation occur; massively disrupting health systems and shifting resources away from other critical health problems. Malaria contributes significantly to the global ‘burden of disease’, a metric that assigns causal significance to health outcomes. This is especially true in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we write about the legacy of COVID-19 on the status of malaria among young people as a preventable disease and some of the innovative ways that young people have co-opted to address these problems.
Understanding the Intersection of COVID-19 and Malaria
Although malaria and COVID-19 are both public health challenges, they call for distinct approaches for preventative and treatment measures. Mosquitoes that have fed on an infected person transmit malaria through their bites. Controlling the disease depends on the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), which protect the sleeper, and the protection of indoor resting places for mosquitoes by indoor residual spraying (IRS). Prompt treatment with antimalarial drugs also combats the disease. In contrast, infected individuals spread COVID-19 through airborne droplets. The ways to prevent COVID-19 include maintaining a safe distance between people, wearing face masks, and immunization.
The pandemic will have immediate and longer-term effects on efforts to prevent malaria, including disruptions to health services, reallocations of funding, and changes in public behavior. Malaria hits young people at every level – from their health to their education and their engagement with their communities.
Key Impacts of COVID-19 on Malaria Prevention Efforts
Disruption of Health Services
COVID-19 has strained health systems the world over, draining staff and supplies and shifting attention away from other health priorities, including malaria. Services for the prevention and treatment of malaria have been disrupted.
- Disrupted access to ITNs and IRS: Programs for delivering insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have been interrupted, leaving many at-risk populations without sufficient mosquito protection. Supply chains for critical malaria prevention commodities have also been affected, delaying product delivery.
- Interrupted Malaria Treatment: Demand for COVID-19 services has outweighed diagnostic and treatment capacity at health centers, leading to treatment delays and, potentially, increased morbidity and mortality from malaria.
Shifts in Funding and Resources
As a result of the funding prioritization for COVID-19, the decrease in financial resources for malaria programs is evident. Donor investments have been declining over the past few years as modern financing mechanisms are taking the lead in financing countries’ national plans. The COVID-19 global pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges of eradicating malaria.
- The cutback in Funding for Malaria Programs: Malaria funding has been curtailed for a variety of measures that prevent malaria and its deadly consequences, including the distribution and implementation of ITN and IRS programs. These curtailments have put considerable constraints on the ability of malaria-endemic countries to sustain and expand their malaria-control programs.
- Redirection of Resources: Resources for health sector personnel, drugs, and equipment have been diverted for COVID-19, and this has impacted the continuity and effectiveness of malaria control activities.
Altered Public Behavior and Priorities
The pandemic has not only led to changes in climate patterns but also affected public behavior and priorities, and this has had an impact on malaria prevention. For example, lockdowns, social distancing, and greater engagement with COVID-19 have changed how people use health services and engage in malaria prevention.
Reduced visits to health facilities and reluctance (or inability) to seek care for other health conditions can result in catastrophic outcomes Lockdowns and fear of being exposed to COVID-19 in health facilities have reduced visitations to health facilities for other health conditions, including routine malaria prevention and treatment. People may delay seeking care for malaria until they are seriously ill, resulting in more severe cases, higher case-fatality rates, and increased transmission.
Standback in public awareness: Public awareness regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has displaced messaging about malaria prevention to the background, influencing the visibility, perceptions, and importance of malaria prevention messages in communities, and affecting engagement and adherence to malaria prevention practices.
The Role of Youth in Addressing Malaria During the Pandemic
Young people themselves have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic, but they’ve also stemmed the tide of another major health hazard – malaria – by becoming part of the solution. Young people have been part of the solution to malaria in several ways:
Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns
Some youth-led organizations and others have also worked to keep malaria awareness high, using social and other media to keep malaria on the public agenda and demand sustained support for malaria programs.
- Social Media Campaigns: To keep the issues alive, young activists have used social media to share information about malaria prevention and treatment, finding ways to put forward their efforts and keep public awareness and engagement from fading into the background amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Community Outreach: The youthful volunteers have reached out to the communities to educate their peers and families on the importance of malaria prevention through the continuous use of ITNs and early attendance at a health facility.
Supporting Health Services
In some areas, youth have volunteered to fill in the gaps in health services and malaria control programs. This has included activities such as the distribution of ITNs and community health education.
- Movement VI: Youth Distributing Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) Overcoming Logistic Challenges: youth have played a vital role in the distribution of ITNs and other malaria prevention tools as part of the larger campaign to reduce mortality.
- Supporting Health Facilities: The young people have demonstrated support to health facilities such as administrative duties and patient counseling, in addition to ensuring that malaria services continue to function.
Innovation and Research
The pandemic has spurred innovation: young researchers and entrepreneurs have been applying their skills to the fight against malaria, developing new technologies and approaches to dealing with COVID-19 and malaria.
- Digital Engineering: Youth have built digital solutions such as mobile apps for malaria diagnosis and treatment tracking to overcome the health system gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.
- Research contributions: multiple young researchers contributed to these efforts to better understand the interplay between COVID-19 and malaria, paving the way for more effective treatment of both illnesses.
Looking Forward: Strengthening Youth Involvement and Resilience
It is for her native continent to engage youth more socially accidentally, propel them to the forefront of malaria-prevention efforts, and then reciprocate that step with support for kids to continue and succeed. As the world responds to and navigates the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging and legitimizing the participation of young people in the fight against malaria should be a paramount priority.
Enhancing Youth Engagement
Anecdotal evidence suggests that – while investing in youth for engagement and leadership development might not come with an immediate pay-off – it can enhance the impact of Malaria Prevention programs by providing opportunities for young people to make decisions and be a crucial part of the implementation process. Such efforts are often more innovative and can have positive spillover effects on the broader community.
- Capacity Building: To strengthen the capacities and competencies of the youth leaders, we drilled them deeper into the malaria-prevention strategies and the importance of engaging others in healthy living. After the training, they were now able to initiate community conversations that could empower more individuals to act.
- Partnerships: Building supportive alliances with youth organizations and networks provides space and leverage, embedding youth-focused efforts under the umbrella of universal malaria control, and amplifying youth voices.
Addressing Funding Gaps
Or else the money dries up, and before we know it, we could be seeing progress reverse, let alone fall behind a rising tide of COVID-19 mortality. Advocacy for additional funding and resources is essential to sustain the gains in malaria prevention.
- Diversifying Funding Sources: Think about exploring new funding opportunities and partners that you hadn’t considered before the COVID-19 shifting of priorities.
- Advocacy: Engage young people in advocacy efforts to secure ongoing investment in malaria control, leveraging the momentum gained in the fight against the disease.
Promoting Integrated Approaches
COVID-19 and malaria are both complex, interconnected problems that call for an integrated approach – one that recognizes the interdependence of the two diseases and its implications for health systems. Building health systems that can manage these and other health problems together can increase resilience.
- Combined approaches: Strategies for tackling COVID-19 and malaria help to optimize the performance of health interventions.
- Health System Strengthening: Building health-system infrastructure and capacity so that health services are resilient and handle multiple health threats at the same time.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health is another striking example of how interconnected all health issues are. COVID-19 has challenged malaria prevention efforts as well. The role that young people play as advocates, supporters of health services, and innovators could not be bigger. We need to strengthen this role, especially by addressing persistent funding gaps and encouraging the integration of programs to strengthen resilience and keep the momentum for progress going. The commitment of all stakeholders especially youth is vital to achieving the long-term health gains needed to overcome the double threat of malaria and COVID-19.
