ABSTRACT
Introduction: Malaysia made public its intention to eradicate malaria, with the staged objective of attaining zero local transmission of the disease in Malaysia. This strategy was to be implemented according to the guidelines outlined in the National Malaria Elimination Plan. Air travel has developed at a rate that has never been seen before, and this trend is expected to continue. The rates of imported cases of malaria, local outbreaks in non-endemic areas, and the global spread of the disease have all increased as a result of its impacts. Recently, Malaysia is facing a re-emergence in the spread of malaria infections. Objective(s): The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of Malaria in Johor this year and to highlight the increase in malarial cases as a result of imported cases following the reopening of international borders during Malaysia's transition to COVID-19 endemicity. Material(s) and Method(s): Malaria is a notifiable disease in Malaysia. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out using the secondary data gathered from the Vector unit JKN Johor. Data analyses was performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Result(s) and Conclusion(s): A total of 18 cases of Malaria were notified until May 2022, with 94% male and 6% female. Malaria parasites identified from the cases are Plasmodium falciparum 17%, P.vivax 28% and P. knowlesi 55%. In addition, 56% of the cases were indigenous and 44% were imported cases. Bivariate correlation test was conducted to determine 2 continuous variables. The results show a significant relationship between traveller admissions and cases notified in Johor (p value <0.01, correlation coefficient 1.00). Malaria control in Malaysia has reached the eradication stage. Imported Malarial cases, on the other hand, are re-emerging and are becoming a major public health concern. In order to establish a more coordinated effort to restrict imported cases, improved inter-sectoral collaboration is essential. Local political commitment and World Health Organization technical assistance will help to generate focused and coordinated efforts to ensure the success of the National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan.