"Malaria ends with us," WHO regional head Saima Wazed urges for political commitment to fight disease
New Delhi: On World Malaria Day, observed annually on April 25,
Saima Wazed
, Regional Director for
WHO South-East Asia
, emphasised the need for continued investment and political commitment in the fight against malaria.
This year, WHO joins with the
RBM Partnership to End Malaria
in promoting the theme "Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite."
In a statement, Wazed said, "World Malaria Day, marked annually on April 25, was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.
She added, "We stand at a defining moment. It is one of both immense promise and challenges, and calls for a shift from a business-as-usual approach to a whatever-it-takes mindset. Our region has made excellent progress in the fight against malaria. South-East Asia is the only WHO region to have met the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) 2020 milestones for reducing malaria cases and deaths.
We are on track to achieve the ambitious GTS 2025 and 2030 targets. The success of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, certified malaria-free in 2015 and 2016, remains a point of pride for us. Of our nine endemic countries, four--Bhutan, India, Nepal and Timor-Leste--have achieved a greater than 63% reduction in malaria incidence since 2015. Timor-Leste and Bhutan are on the cusp of elimination."
Wazed further stressed that the persistence of drug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion, evolving vector behaviours, insecticide resistance, and climate change further complicate the efforts.
"Hard-to-reach populations, fragile
healthcare infrastructure
, and declining
international
funding pose additional threats. We have just five years left to achieve our regional target of
malaria elimination
by 2030," Wazed said.
She added, "To succeed, we must take decisive action -- Reinvest: Financial sustainability is essential. With increasing constraints on funding, we must prioritise domestic resource mobilisation and optimise existing funds to maximise impact. Malaria elimination is an investment, not a cost. It brings significant economic and social benefits, improves workforce productivity, and reduces healthcare expenses. Financing this is a smart, high-return investment."
She further said, "Reimagine: As malaria dynamics shift, our response has to evolve. We must embrace innovations in both products and in service delivery. Digital health solutions can strengthen surveillance and enable real-time decision-making, particularly in high-burden countries.
Strong surveillance systems that rapidly identify transmission hotspots and respond with targeted interventions are crucial. In conflict-affected areas, we need adaptive service delivery models that ensure continuity of care and Reignite:
The fight against malaria demands more than just strategies and investments--it needs passion, commitment and urgency. Political leadership at the highest levels is needed to ensure that malaria elimination remains a national priority. Frontline healthcare workers need recognition, motivation and support."
Wazed further emphasised that the fight against malaria is not solely the responsibility of governments and health agencies--it is a shared mission that requires the commitment of every individual, community, and partner.
"On this
World Malaria Day 2025
, let us remember that elimination is not the responsibility of governments and health agencies alone. It is a shared mission that requires the commitment of every individual, every community, and every partner.
The end of malaria is within reach. Let us reinvest in proven strategies, reimagine our approach, and reignite our collective determination. We can deliver on our promise of a malaria-free South-East Asia Region by 2030 - because malaria truly ends with us," Wazed said.
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