Malaria: 11 African countries want to put an end to deaths

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Extract from the article: Despite significant advances in the fight against malaria, including the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and preventive treatment campaigns, the burden of the disease remains heavy, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost every year. In a s

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Despite significant advances in the fight against malaria, including the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and preventive treatment campaigns, the burden of the disease remains heavy, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost every year. In a show of solidarity and determination, the health ministers of eleven African nations recently joined forces to combat this devastating disease. This was done at a ministerial conference held on 6 March 2024 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The countries involved, including Tanzania, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Niger, Mozambique, Mali, Ghana, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, all signed up to an ambitious declaration at a WHO conference in Yaoundé, aimed at eliminating deaths from malaria by 2030.

The increase in the number of cases, from 218 million in 2019 to 233 million in 2022, underlines the urgency of stepping up the fight against malaria. The participating states expressed their commitment to strengthening political will and securing more funding, both nationally and internationally, to curb this disease.

Despite the establishment of substantial budgets, the funds currently available, estimated at 4.1 billion dollars, are not enough to cover all the needs identified by the WHO.Cameroon has taken a pioneering initiative by launching the very first large-scale vaccination campaign against malaria, in coordination with the WHO and thanks to the financial support of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.

The aim of the campaign is to integrate the malaria vaccine into the country's routine immunisation programme, offering free, systematic protection to all children under the age of 6 months. In addition to vaccination, various strategies are being deployed to combat malaria, such as the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and the implementation of preventive treatments. Efforts to improve hygiene in urban areas, by eliminating stagnant water conducive to the proliferation of mosquitoes, add to these preventive measures.

Thanks to progress in the development of new vaccines, such as Mosquirix and Matrix-M, the goal of zero malaria deaths in Africa by 2030 looks increasingly achievable.This fight against malaria requires close collaboration between governments, international organisations and communities, backed by strong political commitment and adequate funding.

Jean ELI