African leaders have a key role to play in the total elimination of malaria from the continent, particularly in the provision of funding, a 2016 World Malaria Report disclosed on Tuesday.
The annual report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls for more robust funding, noting that governments of malaria endemic countries currently provide 32 percent of total funding for malaria.
According to the report, despite the accelerated access to core malaria-fighting tools increased for children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) who are regarded as the world’s most vulnerable, the region still carries the highest global malaria burden.
SSA still carries the highest global malaria burden, with 92 percent of the 212 million new malaria cases and 429,000 deaths worldwide in 2015, the report said, adding that available data illustrate the continued need for a coordinated and collaborative pan-African response.
“This year’s World Malaria Report demonstrates the tremendous progress we are making in combating the scourge of malaria on the continent.
“But we have never had a clearer picture of the huge challenges that remain. Africa still carries a disproportionately higher share of the global malaria burden. We know the global battle for malaria elimination will be won on this continent.
“The report serves as a reminder that visionary African leadership and pooling of our collective knowledge and resources are of critical importance to bringing about the action and acceleration needed to keep malaria elimination on course,” Joy Phumaphi, executive secretary, African Leaders Malaria Alliance, a forum where African leaders track progress on malaria, said in statement after the release of the report.
The 2016 report also highlights the dramatic improvements in diagnostic testing for children and preventive treatment for pregnant women, stating that national surveys from 22 SSA countries showed that approximately half (51 percent) of children under the age of five with a fever received a malaria diagnostic test in the public sector in 2015 compared with 24 percent in 2010.
African countries are increasingly providing additional resources for malaria by increasing domestic funding and supporting international efforts. Countries, including Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo and Zimbabwe contributed to the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment in September 2016, the report disclosed.
The World Malaria Report which provides key malaria data for the production of the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability & Action and the ALMA 2030 Scorecard Towards Malaria Elimination, also noted that despite the progress much of the continent is still off track to reach the goals established by the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) for Malaria 2016-2030, the technical framework developed by the WHO for all endemic countries as they work towards malaria control and elimination.
The WHO global strategy for malaria 2016 – 20130 targets the reduction of malaria case incidence by at least 90% by 2030; the reduction of malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030; to eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030 and the prevention of a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.
