25 April 2021, Cairo – On World Malaria Day (25 April) WHO is calling for increased political commitment and investment in malaria prevention and control to reach the zero malaria target, and is urging individuals in malaria-endemic countries to draw the line against malaria by getting tested for both malaria and COVID-19 in case of fever, policy-makers to increase coverage of malaria prevention and treatment interventions as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage, and regional donors to scale up efforts to fight malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
"Drawing the line against malaria is the theme of this year's World Malaria Day, which means reaching the zero malaria target. It is an ambitious and challenging but urgent goal," said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. "Fourteen countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region are free of malaria transmission; 2 – the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia – are at the elimination stage, while 6 others, namely Afghanistan, Djibouti, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, still carry a high burden of the disease."
While the burden of malaria was reduced in the Eastern Mediterranean Region between 2000 and 2010, progress has stalled, and in 2019, more than 5 million cases were reported. The number of cases has increased as a result of challenges brought about by the unprecedented scale of humanitarian emergencies facing the Region, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges and further reduced access to essential health services. The Region also faces a substantial funding gap of 45% in spite of efforts by donors to scale up activities for malaria prevention and control.
“Challenges meant that we did not reach our 2020 targets and we must not miss the opportunity to act now, strengthen our approach, get our response back on track and make further gains to ensure that we can meet the 2030 malaria elimination targets of the Sustainable Development Goals," Dr Al-Mandhari added.
On this World Malaria Day, as part of our regional vision of Health for All by All, WHO is urging governments to commit to malaria elimination targets and to ensure the availability of essential services for all, including vulnerable populations, to prevent, control and treat malaria and all vector-borne diseases.
Together, we need to draw the line against malaria and reach the zero malaria target.
