Incidence, Mortality, and Burden of Malaria and Its Geograph-ical Distribution in Iran during 2002-2015

This study aimed at estimating the incidence, mortality, burden, and geographical distribution of malaria between 2002 and 2015 in Iran. DALYs index was used to estimate the burden of malaria. DALYs-related malaria was calculated using a method developed by (WHO) for investigating the Global Burden of Disease (GBD); it was calculated through adding Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to premature death to Years Lived with Disability (YLDs).The data on the incidence and mortality were collected from the malaria surveillance system in the Center for Com-municable Diseases Control (CCDC), Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). The incidence of malaria had a decreasing trend over the studied period and it reduced from 15378 cases in 2002 to 777 cases in 2015. Overall, 28 cases of mortality were observed between 2002 and 2015. In addition, disease burden decreased from 90.78 DALYs in 2002 to 22.38 DALYs in 2015.Overall, there were 949.2 DALYs due to malaria from 2002 to 2015. The incidence and burden of malaria were not equally distrib-uted among all the provinces in Iran and some areas were suffering from the highest burden of the disease. The incidence and burden of malaria have had a decreasing trend over the years of the study and Iran has little to do in order to eradicate malaria. Since the disease is not equally distributed among various provinces of Iran, health policymakers must direct health resources towards specific areas of the country (Sistan and Baluchistan, Kerman, and Hormozgan) with high concentration of cases of malaria.