Ministers of Health from African countries with the highest burden of malaria have committed to accelerated action to end deaths from the disease.
This is contained in a statement issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday.
The ministers, gathering in Yaoundé, Cameroon, signed a declaration committing to provide stronger leadership and increased domestic funding for malaria control programmes.
They also pledged to ensure further investment in data technology, apply the latest technical guidance in malaria control and elimination, and enhance malaria control efforts at the national and sub-national levels.
The ministers also pledged to sustainably and equitably address the threat of malaria in the African region, which accounts for 95 per cent of malaria deaths globally.
In the declaration, the ministers further pledged to increase health sector investments to bolster infrastructure, personnel, and programme implementation; to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration; and to build partnerships for funding, research, and innovation.
In signing the declaration, they expressed their “unwavering commitment to the accelerated reduction of malaria mortality” and to hold each other and our countries accountable for the commitments outlined in this declaration.
The Yaoundé conference, co-hosted by WHO and the Government of Cameroon, gathered ministers of health, global malaria partners, funding agencies, scientists, civil society organisations, and other principal malaria stakeholders.
It said that the ministerial conference had four key aims: to review progress and challenges in achieving the targets of the WHO global malaria strategy and discuss mitigation strategies and funding for malaria.
Others are to agree on effective strategies and responses for accelerated malaria mortality reduction in Africa and establish a roadmap for increased political commitment and societal engagement in malaria control with a clear accountability mechanism.
