History was made in the year 2000 on April the 25th when 44 African leaders met in Abuja, Nigeria and committed their countries to reducing malaria-related deaths. As a result, investment in malaria control gathered a novel momentum that have yielded remarkable returns in the past years. Malaria deaths were cut by one third within the last decade in Africa while outside Africa, thirty five out of fifty three countries affected by malaria had cases of it reduced by half and overall, child mortality rate fell by approximately 20% .
Presently, the great progress we have made is under threat. World Malaria Day is fast approaching again and more than ever, is the need for a deeper level of commitment from people around the globe to bring a total defeat to this mosquito-borne infectious parasitic disease. Malaria still kills an estimate of 627,000 people every year, mostly children ages five and under in sub-Saharan Africa. Every year, 219 million cases of malaria are estimated to occur which goes by unregistered and untested while 68% of malaria deaths globally occur in 10 of the highest burden countries.
There has been an ongoing issue of insufficient financial support. Countries that are prone to malaria are facing critical funding gaps and all effective gains in malaria control over the past decade is threatening to come to a grinding halt. To avoid this, financial investments need to be made to bridge the gap so that these countries may have the resources and the technical support they need to end malaria in their countries and ultimately, worldwide.
For this reason, the World Malaria Day is observed and celebrated; a day dedicated in anticipation of a Malaria-free World. It was instituted by the WHO member states during the World Health Assembly of 2007. It is an occasion where the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control is highlighted. The day serves as an opportunity for countries in affected regions to learn from each others’ experiences and support each others’ efforts. New donors can join a global partnership against malaria and research and academic institutions can use the day to flag their scientific advances to experts and the general public. International partners, companies and foundations can also showcase their efforts and reflect on how to further scale up interventions.
This year, Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partner organizations unite around a common World Malaria Day theme, “Invest in the future: defeat malaria”. This theme was selected for the period of 2013 – 2015 to call attention to the need to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and defeat malaria in the future.
Countries and cities around the world would observe this day in different ways. A few of these ways are by organizing symposiums, educating the populace and giving out tools that will help protect the African child. Individuals, organizations and governments can observe this day by educating and calling more people to action against malaria through social media and through personal interactions. They can also embark upon making sure that there is enough financial support available in tackling this deadly disease. Visit the World Health Organization Website for more details.
