Has COVID19 derailed Bhutan’s national malaria elimination goal? A commentary

Penjor, Kinley; Tobgyal,; Zangpo, Tandin; Clements, Archie C. A.; Gray, Darren J.; Wangdi, Kinley

doi:10.1186/s12936-020-03562-5

Cited by 31 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…After the first case of COVID-19 in Bhutan on March 5, 2020. Bhutan initiated 21 days mandatory quarantine for the returning travelers from a third country, 7 days quarantine for people moving from the border towns with India to interior districts, and snap lockdown of local areas when a community transmission is reported ( 3 , 4 ). In addition, mandatory use of face mask in public places and restrictions to the mass gathering.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, it is one of the serious public health problems worldwide in the Twenty first century ( 1 , 2 ). The first case of COVID-19 in Bhutan was reported on March 5, 2020 ( 3 , 4 ) and the current record stands (7 June 2021) at 1,687 cases with one death ( 5 ). As in other countries around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought communities to a standstill due to the lockdowns to prevent outbreaks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was later extended to 3 weeks upon the recommendation from the National COVID Task Force. In addition, the international borders were sealed from March 23, 2020 except for the supply of essential goods ( 3 , 4 ), which was done under the strict COVID-19 prevention protocols, such as disinfection of vehicles and strict social distancing between delivery and trans-shipping personals. Further, the government has undertaken various preventive measures to stop the spread of the disease, such as hand washing, social distancing, and the use of face mask in public places ( 11 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward COVID-19 Among Sherubtse College Students in Bhutan: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Dorji¹,

Wangmo²,

Yezer

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Bhutan has reopened schools and colleges after an initial closure to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. However, the risk of transmissions is higher in the schools and colleges due to crowding. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 among the students of Sherubtse College in Bhutan. A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire was conducted in September 2020 among the students of Sherubtse College, Bhutan. The questionnaire was made in the Google Forms and administered through a social forum WeChat app. The KAP scores were calculated that include mean scores. The association between the KAP was assessed using the Pearson's correlation coefficient. A total of 613 students participated in the survey. The majority of the participants (57%) were female and 56% were from the third year. The mean knowledge score was 10.7 (SD = 1.7; range 0–14), mean attitude score of 3.67 (SD = 1.0; range: 0–5), and mean practice score of 5.19 (SD = range: 0–6). A majority of the students had good knowledge (98%) and practice (93.5%) scores, and a positive attitude (86.6%) toward COVID-19. A positive but weak correlation between good knowledge and practice (r = 0.1, p = 0.0126) was observed. Having a positive attitude led to practicing appropriately most of the time (r = 0.1866, p < 0.001). The students had good KAP scores and followed the COVID-19 prevention protocols advocated by the government. Good knowledge and a positive attitude were translated into good practice. Therefore, the education campaign of the Bhutan government seems to be effective in the students.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward COVID-19 Among Sherubtse College Students in Bhutan: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Dorji¹,

Wangmo²,

Yezer

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

Self Cite

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“…For national malaria control programmes, the reduced access to and availability of malaria services, disruptions in the production and supply of malaria commodities, and the suspension of IRS and ITN distribution campaigns have hindered the continued provision of malaria services during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 10 ]. Several modelling analyses have assessed the potential impact of disruptions in health service provision on malaria morbidity and mortality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Malaria incidence and mortality in Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of routine surveillance data

Gavi

Tapera²,

Mberikunashe

et al. 2021

Malar J

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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a unique challenge to health care systems globally. To curb COVID-19 transmission, mitigation measures such as travel restrictions, border closures, curfews, lockdowns, and social distancing have been implemented. However, these measures may directly and indirectly affect the delivery and utilization of essential health services, including malaria services. The suspension of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide-treated net (ITN) distribution, shortages of malaria commodities, and reduced demand for health services have hindered the continued delivery of malaria services. The overall goal of this analysis was to describe the trends in malaria incidence and mortality in Zimbabwe prior to and during the pandemic to understand the consequences of COVID-19-related changes in the delivery and utilization of malaria services. Methods Monthly data on the number of malaria cases and deaths by district for the period January 2017 to June 2020 were obtained from the national health management information system (HMIS). District-level population data were obtained from the 2012 Census. Malaria incidence per 1000 population and malaria deaths per 100,000 population were calculated for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 and mapped to describe the spatial and temporal variation of malaria at the district level. Results Compared to the same period in 2017, 2018 and 2019, there was an excess of over 30,000 malaria cases from January to June 2020. The number of malaria deaths recorded in January to June 2020 exceeded the annual totals for 2018 and 2019. District level maps indicated that areas outside high malaria burden provinces experienced higher than expected malaria incidence and mortality, suggesting potential outbreaks. Conclusions The observed surge in malaria cases and deaths in January to June 2020 coincided with the onset of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe. While further research is needed to explore possible explanations for the observed trends, prioritizing the continuity of essential malaria services amid the COVID-19 pandemic remains crucial.

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“…Two E-2020 countries, Bhutan and Timor-Leste, experienced outbreaks of malaria associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. In Bhutan, delays in delivery of malaria prevention interventions attributed to the pandemic resulted in several malaria outbreaks and indigenous transmission [ 19 ]. Movement restrictions in Timor-Leste delayed responses to imported cases along the border with Indonesia, leading to an outbreak and indigenous transmission (M. Mota, personal communication).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting countries to achieve their malaria elimination goals: the WHO E-2020 initiative

Lindblade

Xiao

Tiffany

et al. 2021

Malar J

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Background Malaria causes more than 200 million cases of illness and 400,000 deaths each year across 90 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) set a goal for 35 countries to eliminate malaria by 2030, with an intermediate milestone of 10 countries by 2020. In 2017, the WHO established the Elimination-2020 (E-2020) initiative to help countries achieve their malaria elimination goals and included 21 countries with the potential to eliminate malaria by 2020. Methods Across its three levels of activity (country, region and global), the WHO developed normative and implementation guidance on strategies and activities to eliminate malaria; provided technical support and subnational operational assistance; convened national malaria programme managers at three global meetings to share innovations and best practices; advised countries on strengthening their strategy to prevent re-establishment and preparing for WHO malaria certification; and contributed to maintaining momentum towards elimination through periodic evaluations, monitoring and oversight of progress in the E-2020 countries. Changes in the number of indigenous cases in E-2020 countries between 2016 and 2020 are reported, along with the number of countries that eliminated malaria and received WHO certification. Results The median number of indigenous cases in the E-2020 countries declined from 165.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 14.25–563.75) in 2016 to 78 (IQR 0–356) in 2020; 12 (57%) countries reported reductions in indigenous cases over that period, of which 7 (33%) interrupted malaria transmission and maintained a malaria-free status through 2020 and 4 (19%) were certified malaria-free by the WHO. Two countries experienced outbreaks of malaria in 2020 and 2021 attributed, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Although the E-2020 countries contributed to the achievement of the 2020 global elimination milestone, the initiative highlights the difficulties countries face to interrupt malaria transmission, even when numbers of cases are very low. The 2025 global elimination milestone is now approaching, and the lessons learned, experience gained, and updated guidance developed during the E-2020 initiative will help serve the countries seeking to eliminate malaria by 2025.

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Has COVID19 derailed Bhutan’s national malaria elimination goal? A commentary

Cited by 31 publications

References 7 publications

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward COVID-19 Among Sherubtse College Students in Bhutan: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward COVID-19 Among Sherubtse College Students in Bhutan: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Malaria incidence and mortality in Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of routine surveillance data

Supporting countries to achieve their malaria elimination goals: the WHO E-2020 initiative

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