Fifteen years ago malaria sickened about 2,000 people in Costa Rica. Today, the cases are scarce.
Malaria cases have been declining, especially imported cases, because we have even reached zero domestic cases in past years. Last year we did have some cases in Matina, which were completely controlled,”
said Daniel Salas, Director of Health Surveillance, at the Ministry of Health.
According to Salas, the country is heading towards the eradication of malaria. The deadline is 2020. However, the doctor says there are actions that could bring that date forward and that were rewarded in the previous year, by the Pan American Health Organization Health (OPS).
Costa Rica has a National Plan to eliminate Malaria, which includes supervised treatment and home visits from the Basic Integral Care Teams (EBAIS), who visit the communities on horseback, motorcycle, boat or on foot.
In addition, there is a network of 126 laboratories and care for malaria patients, which have allowed to rapidly detect and prevent outbreaks.
Depending on where it comes from, Malaria resists certain treatments. According to Salas, this has been seen with patients arriving from Africa and South America.
In the last decade, Costa Rica had major outbreaks, especially in coastal areas. The Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) is not an effected area.
Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Once it enters the body, it may take from 16 to 40 days to incubate.
Experts from several countries are in Costa Rica now for the fourth Meeting of the Initiative for the Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola. They aim to make progress in the commitments acquired in the “Declaration for the Elimination of Malaria” in 2013.