Media Talk Africa: Latest Headlines in Politics, Business, Sports, and More

Ministers of Health from African countries with the highest burden of malaria gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to commit to accelerated action to end deaths from the disease. The African region accounts for 95% of malaria deaths globally, with 11 countries carrying approximately 70% of the burden.

The ministers pledged to provide stronger leadership, increase domestic funding for malaria control programs, invest in data technology, apply the latest technical guidance, and enhance efforts at the national and sub-national levels. They also committed to increasing health sector investments, enhancing multi-sectoral collaboration, and building partnerships for funding, research, and innovation.

The conference, co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Cameroon, aimed to review progress and challenges in achieving global malaria targets, discuss mitigation strategies and funding, agree on effective responses for reducing malaria mortality in Africa, and establish a roadmap for increased political commitment and societal engagement.

Despite global progress against malaria in recent decades, progress has stalled since 2017, with critical gaps in funding and access to tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria. The COVID-19 pandemic and long-standing threats like drug and insecticide resistance have further complicated efforts to combat the disease.

To accelerate efforts to reduce the malaria burden, WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria launched the “High burden to high impact” approach in 2018. This approach focuses on political will, strategic information, guidance, policies, and a coordinated national response.

The declaration signed at the conference aligns with the “High burden to high impact” approach and demonstrates a strong political will to reduce the burden of malaria in the region. With renewed urgency and commitment, progress towards a future free of malaria can be accelerated.

To achieve this, WHO recommends robust commitment to malaria responses, increased funding, science and data-driven responses, action on the health impacts of climate change, research and innovation, and strong partnerships for coordinated responses. Addressing delays in malaria program implementation is also crucial to putting malaria progress back on track.