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WHO Stands by Its Numbers on Malaria Deaths -- Voice of America

Lisa Schlein reports that the World Health Organization is defending the statistics for malaria deaths despite a new, debated, data set highlighted in the Lancet journal. "The World Health Organization [WHO] disputes a new study that claims nearly twice as many people are dying of malaria than current estimates…The [WHO] says both its estimates of malaria deaths and those of [a recent]…Lancet study are statistically the same for all groups in all regions, with one exception. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl says there’s a notable statistical difference in regard to children over five and adults in Africa. He says the two groups used different methodologies and different sources of data in arriving at their conclusions…Hartl notes it is believed that most people who survive malaria in the first five years of life have a much higher immunity to this mosquito-borne disease later in life. Therefore, he adds, in most cases, diseases other than malaria are the most likely causes of death among adults. The WHO spokesman says it is important to look more carefully at the sources and the quality of data before arriving at conclusions. He says the emphasis of malaria work in the future will aim to improve diagnostic testing, surveillance and vital statistic registration. These three elements together, he says will improve the veracity and accuracy of the estimates obtained."...

WHO Stands by Its Numbers on Malaria Deaths -- Voice of America

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