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Venezuela: Fighting malaria and a failing health system in Bolivar

Fifty years ago, Venezuela was often presented as one of the leading countries in South America in the battle against malaria. But in recent years, malaria has made a major come back there. Indeed, in 2019, it ranked as the most affected nation in Latin America, with over 320 000 diagnosticated cases. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) intervenes in Bolivar, the country’s biggest state, to provide support to the National Malaria Program, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. In 2019, MSF treated over 85 000 people for malaria and overall helped carry out more than 250 000 malaria diagnostic tests. Since then, the number of malaria cases has decreased by approximately 40% in the municipality of Sifontes, the epicenter of the crisis. But MSF’s ambitions and activities in Bolivar go beyond tackling malaria. Just as in other parts of the country, the state’s health system has been deeply impacted by Venezuela’s severe political and economic crisis and MSF has increased its support to health facilities. The organization already supports a local ambulatory in the town of Las Claritas, and will also soon begin to support one of the state’s regional hospitals, in a city called Tumeremo.

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