Rising Initiatives to Raise Awareness about Malaria Drives Malaria Diagnostics Market
According to the latest World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 from the World Health Organization (WHO), 241 million cases of malaria were reported in the world, in comparison to 227 million cases that were logged in 2019. According to the same source, the number of deaths caused due to malaria has an annual rise of 69,000 deaths. Approximately two-thirds of these deaths, i.e., 47,000, were caused by disruptions in healthcare services during the COVID-19 outbreak; the remaining one-third of deaths, i.e., 22,000 reflected a recent change in the WHO’s methodology for calculating malaria mortality (irrespective of COVID-19 disruptions). Malaria awareness campaigns help enhance the knowledge of the population regarding the disease, thereby promoting healthcare services through intersectoral collaboration and social support. The WHO coordinates with the Global Malaria Programme (GMP) as part of its efforts to control and eradicate malaria from the world. The organization observes World Malaria Day on April 25 of every year to highlight the commitment of the communities dedicated to spreading awareness about malaria (disease, prevention, diagnostics, treatment, etc.).
Governments of several countries are taking various initiatives to conduct research for the development of new antimalarial drugs and vaccines. As per the WHO data, total funding for the control and elimination of malaria reached ~US$ 3 billion in 2019; the governments of endemic regions such as Africa and Asia collectively contributed 31% (~US$ 900 million) of the total funding to create awareness and development of new vaccines for the treatment of the disease. Various private companies are investing heavily in R&D activities to reduce the incidence of malaria. According to the Global Health Policy, the US government allocated a funding of ~US$ 1 billion in FY 2022 for malaria control and research activities. The US government, under the PMI Strategy 2021–2026, aims to control the spread of malaria and reduce deaths caused by it, along with a long-term aim of eradicating the disease.
Governments of various countries across the globe are deploying several strategies to eliminate the disease by improving access to healthcare services, including treatment options, to the people.
- Myanmar has a national malaria control plan that the Global Fund has approved, and by 2030, it is expected to eliminate the disease caused by P. falciparum. The universal healthcare coverage in the country also includes access to malaria diagnosis through microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
- The government of Thailand has implemented a National Malaria Elimination Strategy (NMES) 2017–2026 that further applies an integrated elimination strategy against the disease.
- In January 2020, the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA) launched a strategic plan for 2021–2023 to reach millions of people through malaria control interventions, thereby scaling up prevention activities in Africa.
- Thus, such efforts to propel community engagement reinforce the eradication measures, which bolsters the malaria diagnostics market growth.
Malaria Diagnostics Market: Regional Overview
In terms of geography, the malaria diagnostics market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South & Central America, and the Middle East & Africa. The Middle East & Africa holds the largest share of the malaria diagnostics market. However, Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR during 2022–2030. The growth of the malaria diagnostics market is driven by collaborations between companies and an increasing number of clinical trials. India reported an 83.34% reduction in malaria morbidity and a 92% decrease in associated mortality from 2000 to 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that pregnant women are three times more susceptible to malaria infections as compared to others. Thus, rapid diagnosis and subsequent treatment plans are essential, which favor the growth of the malaria treatment market in India. There is an escalating demand for the RDTs as they facilitate easy and rapid diagnoses. Many international organizations and the Government of India are striving to eradicate malaria. The introduction of the Parasight Malarial Platform for hospitals and pathology labs in India by companies such as Becton, Dickinson and Company, and SightDX for the rapid diagnosis of malaria also favors the malaria diagnostics market growth. Moreover, the burgeoning number of latent malaria cases, coupled with the growing demand for advanced diagnostics tests, are contributing to the market growth in the country.
Malaria Treatment Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments
Access Bio., Inc.; Abbott Laboratories; Premier Medical Corporation Pvt. Ltd.; Sysmex Partec GmbH; bioMerieux; Beckman Coulter Inc.; Siemens Healthineers; Leica Microsystems GmbH; Nikon Corporation; Olympus Corporation; and Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. are among the leading companies operating in the global malaria treatment market. These players focus on expanding and diversifying their market presence alongside acquiring a novel customer base, thereby tapping prevailing business opportunities.
- In June 2022, SC Johnson collaborated with the Global Fund to accelerate efforts for the elimination of malaria, a deadly yet preventable and treatable disease. The partnership would leverage SC Johnson’s core competencies in entomology to bring measurable and economic sustainability in malaria management in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zanzibar.
- In February 2022, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) launched Plasmochek for Malaria testing. Plasmochek is designed to detect plasmodium, a parasite responsible for causing malaria. The kit utilizes antibodies specific to Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II and Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase to detect malaria infections.