World Malaria Day 2009 Getting To Zero: Who European Region Working Towards Malaria Elimination
May 06, 2017
Owing to intensive anti-malaria interventions, the number of reported
malaria cases in the WHO European Region has fallen by more than 150-fold
since 1995. The latest information available shows that only 589 cases of
malaria due to local transmission were notified by the WHO European
Member States in 2008 compared with 90 712 in 1995.
In 2008, all malaria-affected countries of the Region moved into a new
malaria elimination phase. National strategies on malaria have been
revised to reflect the new elimination challenges. The WHO European
Region's goal is to stop malaria transmission by 2015 and ultimately
eliminate the disease.
The Region is getting closer to reaching this goal. Only six countries
out of the 53 Member States in the Region have not yet interrupted
malaria transmission. Two countries - Armenia and Turkmenistan - will
most probably attain malaria-free status by 2010. A country can request
WHO to certify its malaria-free status when it has reported no cases for
at least three consecutive years.
In the countries where malaria had been eliminated, priority is given to
maintaining the malaria-free status. Particular emphasis is given to
situations where there is a risk of spread of malaria between
neighbouring countries and regions. Countries in the WHO European and the
Eastern Mediterranean Regions have similar epidemiological situations and
problems with regards to malaria. Therefore, closer cross-border
cooperation is being promoted through joint projects on malaria control
and elimination.
World Malaria Day - a day to act
World Malaria Day on 25 April is a day of unified commemoration of the
global effort to provide effective control of malaria around the world.
This year's World Malaria Day marks a critical moment in time. The
international malaria community has merely two years to meet the 2010
target of delivering effective and affordable protection and treatment to
all people at risk of malaria, as called for by the United Nations
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. The theme of this year's World Malaria
Day is "Counting Malaria Out". The Roll Back Malaria Partnership - which
includes WHO - is kicking off a campaign to engage partners in a
comprehensive effort to count and quantify the progress and impact of the
fight against malaria.
Source
World Health Organisation