RBM Partnership congratulates Paraguay on eliminating malaria
Global partnership urges countries close to elimination to stay committed to beating the preventable but deadly disease
11 June 2018 – Today, the nation of Paraguay is celebrating breaking free from the burden of malaria – a disease that claims a child’s life every two minutes – with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) announcement that the country achieved malaria-free certification after five consecutive years of zero indigenous cases of malaria. Paraguay is the first country in the Americas to achieve this goal in 45 years.
Transforming into a multi-sectoral partnership
Since its inception, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria has worked at the intersection of health and sustainable development, in recognition of the fact that malaria is a disease that thrives in and results in poverty. Through its Strategic Plan 2018-2020, the Partnership seeks to promote developmental strategies that aspire to eradicate poverty to take the fight against malaria as part of their core missions. This can only be achieved through a multi-sectoral approach.
Three priorities for the RBM Partnership in 2018
The 1st of February 2018 marked my first year in office as CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. It has been a remarkable year for the reinvigorated RBM Partnership and, with the new Partnership mechanisms, Board-approved Strategic Plan 2018-2020, and the Secretariat team in place, we have now reached our ‘cruising altitude’ just in time for this crucial year for the global malaria community.
In this month’s update, I would like to share three of the Partnership’s priority initiatives for 2018.
Make 2018 a Watershed Year for Malaria in Africa
In January, malaria was high on the agenda of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. The RBM Partnership to End Malaria, together with its partners, including the African Union Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Leaders’ Malaria Alliance (ALMA), used the occasion to shine the spotlight on both the successes and the challenges of malaria control and elimination in Africa.