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25 April 2023
This year’s World Malaria Day campaign is being marked under the theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement”. Within this theme, WHO is urging more effective implementation of available tools and strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria, particularly among marginalized populations.
Malaria in pregnancy, if untreated, can lead to maternal and neonatal death, as well as anaemia, stillbirth and low birth weight – a major cause of infant mortality. In recent years, 8 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have piloted a new community-based approach to preventing malaria in pregnancy. These projects and programmes build on WHO guidance.
Feature story | WHO guidance on intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) | WHO guidance on antenatal care
More than 6 months on from the devastating floods in Pakistan, millions of people across the country continue to be displaced, and many are at risk of malaria. With support from WHO, the Global Fund and other partners, Pakistan is working to address the extraordinary scale of need.
Malaria elimination efforts in Suriname have made tremendous strides, with the number of confirmed malaria cases dropping from about 14 000 in 2003 to zero last year. But reaching highly mobile communities of gold miners with diagnosis, care and treatment has been an ongoing challenge for public health officials in the country. Ahead of this year’s World Malaria Day, experts from Suriname’s national malaria programme shared their insights with WHO.
Since the RTS,S malaria vaccine was introduced in parts of Kenya, there has been a substantial decline in hospitalizations for severe malaria and a reduction in child deaths. In this feature story, caregivers, health leaders and community health volunteers reflect on the malaria vaccine roll-out, and on how this new tool is reaching children at risk with life-saving malaria prevention.
India has made impressive gains in reducing its malaria burden, with cases dropping by more than 40% since 2015. Most cases are concentrated among tribal populations living in rural areas. This photo story describes how local health workers are reaching at-risk populations in remote areas of Chhattisgarh, a state that accounts for nearly one fifth of the country’s malaria burden.
After recovering from malaria in 2019, Hiao Khanh was motivated to help prevent the disease among others in his community. As a member of the Community Malaria Action Team in the Krông pa district of Gia Lai province, he is working to raise awareness about malaria prevention, provide protective items such as mosquito nets, transport people showing malaria symptoms to health facilities, and support adherence to treatment.
New preferred product characteristics
Preferred product characteristics (PPCs) are key tools to incentivize and guide the development of urgently needed health products. WHO has issued 3 new PPCs:
