African leaders have recently gathered under the auspices of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), at the 26th African Union Summit to celebrate unprecedented progress against malaria in Africa.
President of Chad H.E. Idriss Déby said, “We have an exceptionally strong platform from which we can now work to finally eliminate malaria from the continent once and for all”. The leaders reiterated their commitment to malaria elimination on the continent by 2030.
“The African Leaders Malaria Alliance is a model for what we can do when we commit ourselves to a collective goal. Our progress is undeniable,” said Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. “This is what it looks like when we work together – this is how we build a better future for Africa.”
Thirty-four Heads of State and Delegation joined the annual meeting, which was chaired by H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the current chair of ALMA. During the meeting, H.E. Idriss Déby President of Chad was appointed to take over as the next chair of ALMA.
Since 2000, malaria mortality rates in Africa have fallen by 66 percent overall and 71 percent among children under 5.
According to H.E. Prime Minister Dessalegn , “Despite the remarkable achievements, we should not lose sight that malaria remains a disease of poverty and a major public health concern particularly in Africa. We must therefore continue to invest in malaria interventions in order to reduce malaria cases and deaths.”
The leaders reviewed the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability and Action and the ALMA 2030 Scorecard towards Malaria Elimination. Building on these, leaders committed to develop their national malaria control and elimination scorecards with an accountability and action mechanism.
