As the world celebrate the 2024 world malaria day, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti has urged Member States, affected communities, and partners to keep investing in malaria control and build resilient health systems while strengthening primary health care to ensure that quality services are available to all.
She said Malaria has been a priority health problem in the African region over the past decades. It remains a leading cause of illness, hospital admissions, and deaths, especially in young children and pregnant women.
According to her, since 2000, the world has mobilized more than US$50 billion to support malaria control and elimination efforts, and as a result, 2.1 billion malaria cases and 11.7 million malaria deaths were averted in the period 2000–2022 . This investment reduced the malaria mortality rate by half, from about 29 deaths per 100 000 population at risk in 2000 to 14.3 in 2022—despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moeti said, “We’ve recorded milestones toward malaria elimination; Cabo Verde was recently certified in January 2024, after Algeria in 2017”.
She noted that In 2023, WHO approved the second malaria vaccine, R21/MatrixM, after RTS,S in 2021. Both vaccines will be rolled out in 19 countries in the African region this year; they’ll provide new hope for hundreds of thousands of children at risk of dying from malaria.
“As countries make progress, families are yielding dividends in terms of well-being”.
“However, the African region has reached a crossroad in controlling the disease: Twenty of the most affected countries – that contribute more than 85% of cases and deaths – are in our region. Multiple challenges account for this, such as extreme weather events, conflict and humanitarian crises, resource constraints, biological threats, and inequities”.
With the international community, we commemorate this 17th World Malaria Day under the theme: “Advancing health equity, gender equality and human rights”, This year’s theme highlights the need to ensure continuous and equitable delivery of malaria services to all who need them despite funding constraints, ensuring adequate coverage of the most vulnerable and at-risk populations with effective interventions.
The WHO African Region has been supporting strategic initiatives to maintain and sustain the equitable deployment of malaria control and elimination services.
