Washington, January 8 (RHC)-- Malaria is killing more people than Ebola in West Africa where the fight against the recent outbreak has hampered efforts to contain the easily preventable malaria.

In a recent interview, Dr. Bernard Nahlen, the deputy director of the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, said that reported malaria cases this year decreased by as much as 40 percent, which is not considered as good news.

"I would be surprised if there were not an increase in unnecessary malaria deaths in the midst of all this, and a lot of those will be young children," the doctor added. He elaborated on the causes of the spread of malaria, saying that in many villages, as a measure to contain the Ebola virus, doctors have stopped pricking fingers to do blood tests, vital for diagnosis of malaria.

Dr. Nahlen further explained that, in addition to that, people would not go to health facilities to get treated for the disease at the fear of getting infected with Ebola. He noted that Ebola and malaria share many of the same symptoms, including fever, dizziness, and aches in head and muscles.

In December, the World Health Organization published an annual report, saying, around 20,000 people were killed by malaria in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone last year.

Malaria is the leading cause of death in children under five in Guinea and, after AIDS, the leading cause of adult deaths.