A World Health Organization official has issued a warning about the increased risk of malaria to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Bangkok Post reports.
According to Myin Thwe, WHO’s program director in Asia, health officials will gather at a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the disease and methods of controlling its spread in the region.
Malaria is spreading in Asia — particularly in Southeast Asia — at an increased rate this year, according to a malaria expert from the University of Hawaii. The expert said that a larger number of mosquito breeding grounds in the region has placed up to 1.8 billion people at risk of contracting the disease. According to the expert, Cambodia has recorded the largest number of malaria cases in the region, followed by Myanmar and Thailand.
Indonesia last year recorded between 150,000 and 160,000 malaria cases — the highest number reported in the region.