Dr Corine Karema
Interim CEO, RBM Partnership to End Malaria
This World Malaria Day, the global malaria community calls for urgent action and further investment to deliver zero malaria.
Since the turn of the millennium, global partnership and sustained investment have significantly impacted the fight against malaria, preventing 2 billion malaria cases and saving 11.7 billion lives.
Today, however, low coverage of existing tools, emerging biological threats, funding shortfalls and the ongoing impact of Covid-19 are brewing a perfect storm for malaria, putting progress at risk. In 2021, there were 241 million malaria cases and about 620,000 malaria deaths.
Recent research and development investments have produced the most robust pipeline of malaria interventions in over a decade. Still, many challenges are holding countries off track from achieving the 2030 global malaria targets.
On World Malaria Day, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria calls for countries and global stakeholders to invest, innovate and implement for a zero-malaria world.
Bridging critical global funding gaps to deliver zero malaria
Despite considerable efforts from the malaria community, the global funding gap for malaria is increasing, exacerbated by a shortfall in funding secured at last year’s Global Fund Replenishment.
To reach global malaria targets, available resources must be used efficiently, and leaders must urgently deliver bold investments in malaria control to bridge the funding gap and accelerate progress. This needs sustainable and predictable health financing for universal health coverage (UHC) and a shared vision for primary healthcare investments that impact public health priorities.
Biological threats in recent years have endangered malaria control and elimination efforts, putting progress at risk.
Innovation must continue at pace for improved solutions
Biological threats in recent years have endangered malaria control and elimination efforts, putting progress at risk. The ability of the Anopheles mosquito — and the malaria parasite it transmits — to constantly evolve has given rise to emerging drug and insecticide resistance, reducing the efficacy of existing tools.
Meanwhile, many proven interventions await to be tailored and targeted to those who need them most. We must continue accelerating innovation and delivering transformative tools and improved approaches to end malaria.
Scale up and urgently deliver malaria control programmes
As countries, global communities and partners work tirelessly to hold the line against malaria through inclusive, multisectoral responses to the disease, it’s time to scale up robust national malaria programmes to deliver lifesaving tools to those who need them most. As the global malaria community comes together this World Malaria Day, we must continue to invest in malaria elimination; innovate to develop and tailor new tools and approaches; and implement national strategies to accelerate progress against this age-old disease.
