The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has applauded Twenty-four countries, including Algeria, for achieving the feat of being certified Malaria free by the WHO as the fight against Malaria continues the world over. The WHO Chief attributed this success to a common trend possessed by most of these countries being that they have invested in free primary health care and robust health information systems and recruited networks of volunteer health workers to prevent, detect and treat malaria even in remote areas within their respective terrains.
The theme for the World Malaria Day in 2021 is “Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria”, and towards the complete eradication of the disease, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the launch of the E-2025, a new elimination initiative that builds on the foundation of the E-2020. According to the DG:
“As we commemorate World Malaria Day this year, we must remember that this is a disease that is preventable and treatable and yet it kills more than 400 000 people every year. We have made huge strides in combating this global killer but lately, progress has plateaued, particularly in countries with a high burden of diseases, we have missed critical targets of the global malaria strategy, at the same time we have made great strides with many nations now on the role to eliminate malaria,”
Noting the commitment of various countries in eradicating Malaria, Dr. Tedros commended certain countries for achieving hard-won success against the disease after decades of battle.
“Twenty-four countries have succeeded in reaching zero malaria transition for three years or more and in total, 38 countries and territories have been certified malaria-free by WHO, including most recently, El Salvador, Algeria, and Sri Lanka. Many of these countries once had a high burden of malaria and achieved hard-won success after decades of action. Today we recognize and celebrate their achievements which were routed in the unwavering political commitment to end malaria, marked by sustained funding that sustained preventive efforts even after reaching zero”
In encouraging further action against the disease, Dr. Tedros, who is also the African Leadership Magazine (UK) Person of The Year, explained that the countries in reference have shown that malaria elimination is a viable goal for all countries no matter how far they may be from the ultimate target and they serve as an inspiration to everyone.
