On the occasion of World Malaria Day, Mortein, in partnership with Prayatna, revealed the introduction of a school malaria curriculum and an innovative mosquito sculpture public exhibit in Bareilly, as a component of its Mission Zero Malaria initiative.
Mortein Mission Zero Malaria collaborated with acclaimed artist Dr. Bibhuti Adhikary to develop a captivating public art installation aimed at promoting awareness about mosquito-borne illnesses, specifically malaria, as part of their initiative to educate the community on malaria prevention and work towards making Bareilly malaria-free.
Malaria continues to pose a substantial public health obstacle, especially in Uttar Pradesh, India, with Bareilly district alone contributing to a considerable portion of the state’s malaria cases. This emphasizes the pressing requirement for focused interventions. Mortein Mission Zero Malaria, established in 2023, aims to enhance health consciousness and foster behavioural transformations within the communities of Bareilly.
The mosquito installation located at Machhar Chowk in Bareilly, similar to the renowned Polio Chowk in Moradabad and the impressive ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat, has a noble objective of initiating discussions and raising awareness among schools, communities, organizations, and healthcare professionals about the significance of preventing and controlling malaria. This artistic creation showcases a towering structure standing at 18 feet, embellished with three pillars and three mosquitoes, serving as a powerful symbol reminding us of the dangers posed by mosquitoes.
The sculpture is designed to feature 3 lights that will alter their colours according to the level of mosquito infestation in the city: Green indicating a low risk of malaria/mosquito infestations, Orange signalling a malaria outbreak, and Red signifying a significant increase in cases, prompting people to take necessary precautions.
World Malaria Day is commemorated every year on April 25 with the goal of increasing awareness about the international initiatives to combat and eventually eliminate malaria. The establishment of this day was endorsed by WHO Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2007, and the inaugural World Malaria Day took place in 2008. The inception of this global event can be traced back to Africa Malaria Day, which had been recognized by African nations since 2001.
In 2022, it is estimated that there were approximately 249 million cases of malaria and 608,000 malaria-related deaths across 85 countries worldwide. The burden of malaria is significantly higher in the WHO African Region, which accounted for 94% of malaria cases (233 million) and 95% of malaria deaths (580,000) in the same year. On the other hand, the WHO South-East Asia Region contributed to around 2% of global malaria cases. Interestingly, the number of malaria cases in this region has seen a significant decline of 76%, dropping from 23 million in 2000 to approximately 5 million in 2022.
