KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has once again retained its zero indigenous malaria status for 2019, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.
The Health director-general said the status was achieved in 2018.
"Our success since 2018 must be retained for three consecutive years to qualify Malaysia for the World Health Organisation's certification of malaria elimination for indigenous transmission in 2021," he said in a statement today.
However, despite the achievement, the country still recorded zoonotic malaria cases from monkeys and import malaria cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said last year 3,491 malaria cases from various sources were recorded, of which 3,223 (81.8 per cent) were zoonotic, 620 (15.7 per cent) were imported cases and 98 (2.5 per cent) were caused by other infections.
"In the same year, six deaths were reported all involving zoonotic malaria cases from the Plasmodium Knowlesi species.
"The Health Ministry has taken necessary steps to ensure malaria control and that prevention activities are not affected, so the zero-malaria (indigenous) status can be retained," he said.
During the Movement Control Order (MCO), Dr Noor Hisham said malaria prevention innovations had also been created through the modification of on-field critical action.
This, he said, was to ensure health workers were protected from the current Covid-19 pandemic.
"In this regard, the Health Ministry prioritises all cases and outbreak for immediate action.
"The modification of vector control methods (malaria-carrying mosquitoes) must be done through distributing treated mosquito nets from house to house to avoid large gatherings among communities and to maintain social distance.
"Apart from that, the ministry also ensures that the supply of equipment for diagnosis and malaria medication is not affected," he said, adding that malaria screening for risk groups was ongoing.
He advised the public living in rural areas to take precautionary measures such as wearing clothes that protect the whole body from mosquito bites and using mosquito repellent and advised against being outside at night.
Farming companies must ensure that their workers are always protected from mosquito bites by providing treated mosquito nets and carrying out other malaria prevention activities such as residual spraying, he added.
"Seek immediate treatment at your nearest clinic or hospital if you have malaria symptoms such as fever, cold chills, sweating, and feeling weak.
"Act now. 'Zero malaria starts with me.' "