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Cross-Border Response Crucial for Defeating Malaria: WHO Regional Director

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Cross-Border Response Crucial for Defeating Malaria: WHO Regional Director
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April 25: With the world at a crossroads in the quest to defeat malaria, the WHO South-East Asia Region stands tall, according to WHO Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh. Between 2015 and 2017 the region reduced its estimated malaria caseload by 56 percent, from 25.5 million to 11.3 million, a statement issued by the WHO regional office quoted Singh as saying.

According to Singh, the total number of cases presumed and confirmed decreased by 25 percent and reported mortality was more than halved between 2015 and 2017. Maldives and Sri Lanka remain malaria-free, while seven of the region’s nine malaria endemic member states are set to reduce case incidence by 40 percent by 2020.

“Region-wide, resolve is strong. As reflected in the 2017 Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating and Sustaining Malaria Elimination in the South-East Asia Region, each of the Region’s Member States are committed to fully routing the disease and achieving a malaria-free South-East Asia Region by 2030,” the statement added.

Whether high or low burden, Singh argues that making it happen demands each of them strengthen high-impact, country-led and owned approaches, with civil society playing a key role, as per the theme of this year’s World Malaria Day – ‘zero malaria starts with me’.

Firstly, member states should fully operationalize the 2017 Ministerial Declaration. That means mobilizing adequate and sustained funding for national malaria programmes – including from external partners – and distributing it appropriately and efficiently at every level of implementation, according to Singh.

Secondly, member states should ensure malaria is a notifiable disease and transform surveillance into a core intervention. To that end, Singh points out that cross-border collaboration is crucial.

“A cross-border response will allow authorities to respond to outbreaks more efficiently (especially via complementary initiatives) and better protect vulnerable populations in border areas, which are often malaria-prone. It will also enhance country-to-country capacity building, including in research.”

WHO said it is always committed to providing member states its full technical and operational support to ensure malaria’s burden is lifted region-wide. Achieving that outcome is, however, only possible with the full strength, commitment and resolve of member states, partners, donors and the public alike.

WHO’s South-East Asia Region comprises the following 11 member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

 

 

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