Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
Microsoft founder, Bill Gates declare disease malaria which is caused by mosquito bites continues despite the Covid-19 corona virus pandemic. He said mosquitoes were much deadlier than even the largest sharks.
Gates issued the warning after the Discovery Channel finished showing the Shark Week film. Through his personal blog, he also declared Mosquito Week while uploading a number of videos and articles related to mosquitoes.
Launch CNET, Gates said most of the deaths from malaria occur in the poorest countries in the world. The Covid-19 pandemic situation has also seriously disrupted the prevention and treatment of malaria, so that deaths can skyrocket when compared to previous years.
“Mosquitoes don’t practice social distancing. They don’t wear masks either. As Covid-19 spreads around the world, it’s important to remember that the world’s deadliest animal has not stopped during this pandemic,” Gates said.
Gates through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have long been concerned about malaria. Through a number of strategies, he is trying to eradicate this deadly disease.
Gates’ Mosqueto Week is unlike the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which features a fight between Mike Tyson and a ‘shark’. Gates only uploads videos of mosquitoes forming a terrible figure and many articles detailing the challenges and successes of the fight against malaria.
In blog officially, Gates said lockdown and social distancing has made it difficult for health workers to provide malaria prevention and treatment.
The supply of essential malaria kits, such as bed nets, anti-malarial drugs and rapid diagnostic tests that have played a role in reducing malaria deaths by more than half since 2000 have also been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gates said during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, endemic diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS caused more deaths than Ebola itself because the epidemic disrupted local health care systems.
Gates said there was no choice between saving lives from Covid-19 or saving lives from malaria. The world must allow poor countries to do both.
For malaria, Gates appealed to continue the campaign to provide durable insecticide-treated bed nets, control mosquito populations with indoor spraying, and provide preventive treatment for pregnant women and children in high-risk communities.
At the same time, health workers must provide these services without putting their communities at risk of contracting the coronavirus.
(jps / DAL)
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