There should be a World Health Assembly resolution for malaria eradication

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Author: Oumar Gaye
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2019
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-019-2983-8; https://doaj.org/article/aa154fadf8144f12b2fffe9927ae01ae

Abstract Several efforts are being made now for malaria elimination with a goal for eradication. New tools and strategies are being developed and there is currently renewed political engagement and interest. Several technical groups have produced a guide on elimination for policymakers and indicated different research questions to be addressed. The World Health Assembly resolution and the United Nations General Assembly convened a high-level roundtable “From High Burden to High Impact: Getting back on track to end Malaria”. In Africa, the Head of states pronounced a vision for an Africa free of malaria and launched the slogan “Zero malaria starts with me”. Massive efforts to sustain research capacity in the endemic countries will be critical. It will be important to both increase domestic financing, and advocate to sustain and increase funding from major donor countries. It is unethical to continue to observe deaths of so many children in malaria endemic countries, the most vulnerable populations. Considering malaria eradication as a vision and working with all the opportunities we now have could accelerate the process. Eliminating malaria with a country regional approach and progressing step by step will give us consistent information on our way towards eradication.