Malaria elimination and universal health coverage go hand in hand: country officials at 71st World Health Assembly event

Dr Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, Board Chair of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria

"This room is full because we all agree on one thing: If we don’t end malaria, it will be very hard to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). UHC brings us together to end diseases, to improve lives and, ultimately, to attain the Sustainable Development Goals."

Dr Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases, WHO

Ms Cui Liu, Vice Minister, National Health Commission, People’s Republic of China

"In 2017, for the very first time, no local cases of malaria were reported in China. In a country with such a large population, elimination of local malaria is no easy feat. We have incorporated malaria elimination in our overall economic and social development plan and we are seeing the results."

Dr Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka

"A few decades back, malaria was a leading cause of hospitalization in the country. Through sustained investment on the part of consecutive governments and strenuous efforts of our anti malaria campaign and its collaborators, we were able to successfully eliminate malaria, and Sri Lanka was certified by WHO as a malaria-free country in September 2016. This great achievement was made despite a civil conflict which lasted almost 3 decades."

Dr Chitalu Chilufya, Minister of Health, Zambia

"In Zambia, one cannot talk about universal health coverage without mentioning malaria elimination. Financing malaria elimination is costly but not financing it is not any cheaper."

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO

"The global malaria response is at a crossroads. More than 90% of the epidemic is in Africa, and it is clear that the centre of fighting this war should be in Africa. We need to have greater emphasis on vector control measures, and, importantly, we need to better understand the contribution of the individual in malaria control and elimination efforts."

Ms Renee Deschamps, Assistant Secretary, Health Policy Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

"Australia is a champion of malaria elimination in the Indo-Pacific, providing sustained financial commitment to malaria initiatives, fostering regional partnerships and raising awareness of the region’s challenges to malaria elimination in global fora, including the prevalence of antimalarial drug resistance in the Greater Mekong Subregion."

Dr Kesete Admasu, CEO, RBM Partnership to End Malaria

"The title of this side event – country-owned and country-led – is what drives our partnership. Country ownership means walking the talk, and malaria-endemic countries need to work together to achieve malaria elimination goals."

Dr Pedro Alonso, Director, WHO Global Malaria Programme

"Every country can progress towards elimination, no matter where they are in the elimination continuum.  Yes, the response to malaria is at a crossroads, but I am confident we will eventually achieve our vision of a malaria-free world."

Dr Bounkong Syhavong, Minister of Health, Lao PDR

"Countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion have come together to join hands to eliminate malaria before 2030. Eliminating this disease is not only important for Lao PDR, but it will have a positive impact on regional and global efforts to achieve a malaria-free world."

Dr Paison Dakulala, Deputy Secretary for Health, National Department of Health, Papua New Guinea

"If we eliminate malaria in Papua New Guinea, we eliminate this disease in the Pacific. We know what we want to do, and we know the strategies and plans that are needed. Now, we need support at all levels to enable us to go where we want to go. But we cannot do this alone, and we are appreciative of all the partnerships that are helping us to fulfil the job of elimination and to keep it sustained."

Dr Hala Hameed, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Offices

"Malaria certification is not just a public health milestone. It has contributed to our economic development. It is not only saving costs in terms of malaria prevention and treatment but also has tremendous positive impact on our economic sectors. The Maldives, with continuing support from health partners, is vigilant to remain malaria free to achieve universal health coverage."

Mr Christoph Benn, Director of External Relations, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

"The Global Fund has been a strong supporter of country-owned and country-led malaria control and elimination efforts. We promise to continue to support all our partner countries on this exciting road towards elimination. This is not the moment to slow down, and the Global Fund will be with you in this elimination endeavour."

Dr Myint Htwe, Union Minister for Health and Sports, Myanmar

"This signing represents a landmark in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). I am proud to say that Myanmar stands ready to beat malaria once and for all, together with my counterpart ministers in the GMS."

Representatives from the 6 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion signed a Ministerial Call for Action to Eliminate Malaria in the GMS before 2030

As part of the side event, ministers of health and other senior representatives from the 6 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – signed a Ministerial Call for Action to Eliminate Malaria in the GMS before 2030. The call commits GMS countries to accelerate malaria elimination in the subregion.