World Malaria Day 2013 “Invest in the future: Defeat malaria”

World Malaria Day is an opportunity to highlight progress, needs and challenges in malaria control. More than 1.3 billion people in the Region live in areas at risk of malaria, and 10 of the 11 Member States are endemic for the disease. However, in the South East-Asia Region, significant progress has been achieved in malaria control. Malaria cases were reduced by 43% from 5 968 249 in 2003 to 3 401 898 in 2011, and malaria deaths declined by 68% from 4482 in 2003 to 1819 in 2011. Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic Korea, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are aiming for elimination of malaria.

The World Malaria Report 2012 summarizes information received from 104 malaria-endemic countries and other sources, and updates the analyses presented in the 2011 report. It highlights the progress made towards the global malaria targets set for 2015 and describes current challenges for global malaria control and elimination.

During 2000-2011, the confirmed malaria cases declined by 24% whereas malaria deaths declined by 68% in SEA Region. Out of 10 endemic countries of the Region, confirmed cases declined in 8 countries out of which in 3 countries have registered more than 75% decline namely, Sri Lanka (99.9%), Bhutan (96.1%), DPRK (77.3%), in 3 countries have registered more than 50% decline namely, Thailand (69.5%) , Nepal (55.3%) and Timor Leste (50%) Timor Leste data was compared). India has registered a decline of 35% and Bangladesh could able to manage 7% decline (Fig. 4).

In spite of significant advances, malaria remains a significant health problem and a major threat to socio-economic development in South-East Asia. Member countries, with WHO support, are aiming to reduce malaria cases and deaths by 75% by 2015 (from 2000) and contain resistance to the anti-malarial drug artemisinin, with the long-term goal of eliminating the disease. Means to achieve this include promoting high-level regional political collaboration, finding mechanisms to the financial gap, expanding access to quality medicines and technologies, ensuring universal coverage of key malaria interventions in priority areas, and accelerating research and development .