Costa Rica Leads Malaria Day in the Americas

The Northern Huetar Region of Costa Rica was recently awarded the 2024 Malaria Champions Prize, a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)initiative recognizing evidence-based malaria control and elimination efforts in the Region of the Americas.

The announcement was made on November 15, 2024, as part of Malaria Day in the Americas 2024.

The theme for this Malaria Day, Expanding access to diagnostics and treatment for all, calls for action to make malaria treatment readily accessible to communities.

Costa Rica won the award in recognition of the reduction in female mosquito-transmitted autochthonous (local) cases in the Northern Huetar Region in recent years. Cases decreased from 378 in 2022 to 128 in 2023, and as of the beginning of October 2024, only eight cases were reported, representing significant progress toward eliminating autochthonous malaria transmission.

This achievement is due to implementing several strategies, including a mass drug administration campaign in selected communities. To continue reducing malaria transmission, PAHO calls on countries to intensify efforts to eliminate malaria in the Americas and expand access to malaria diagnosis and treatment.

Unfortunately, neither WHO-recommended malaria vaccine will be available in Costa Rica in 2024.

The Malaria Champions is a collaborative effort between PAHO, the United Nations Foundation, the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University's Center for Communication Programs, the Florida International University, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Health. Since 2009, over 40 projects across the region have been recognized with this award.

Additionally, Costa Rica Health Department's Boletín Epidemiológico N°45 revealed several new chikungunya, dengue, and zika cases this year.

As of November 22, 2024, 40 chikungunya infections, over 29,500 dengue cases, and 25 Zika cases in 2024.

From a prevention perspective, chikungunya and dengue vaccines are available this year in the Region of the Americas.