On the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly, African Ministers of Health have committed to mobilise resources to scale up malaria services and prevent malaria sickness and death across the continent. In their pledge to implement the YaoundéDeclaration, the ministers have vowed to work with their Heads of State and Government to drive political will, prioritise malaria in their government's agenda, and increase domestic resource allocations for malaria programmes.
"Malaria is a pathfinder for health systems strengthening, primary health care, and pandemic preparedness, as well as a key example of how we must fight the impact of climate change on health. By implementing the Yaoundé Declaration, we can lift ourselves out of the perfect storm that threatens essential malaria services, be it the critical financial shortfalls, the impact of climate change, or biological threats including insecticide and drug resistance," said Her Excellency
Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development. The ministers emphasised the importance of acting on the bold and ambitious commitments to help end a disease that accounts for 94% of all cases (233 million malaria cases) and 95% of all deaths (580,000 malaria deaths) on the continent, affecting mostly women and children. Among the top priorities, they pledged to integrate malaria services with maternal, child, and adolescent health programmes, enhancing the efficiency of health services and bridging financial gaps.
"Implementing the Yaoundé Declaration means driving multisectoral collaboration and harnessing public-private partnerships to address funding shortfalls, such as through the establishment of End Malaria Councils and Funds. These councils have proven effective in keeping malaria high on the
political and development agenda and mobilising domestic resources. With $57 million already mobilised through such councils, expanding this effort across the continent would significantly impact malaria control," said Dr Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.
The meeting also called for regular interaction with real-time data to increase political will, inform policy, and drive further action. This includes the use of scorecard accountability and action tools to enhance performance at all levels of the healthcare system. "Recognising the funding shortfalls, we urge for strong replenishments for GAVI and the Global Fund to ensure there are sufficient resources to address vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as HIV, TB, and malaria. Given the perfect storm we are facing, it is essential to maintain, and progressively increase, malaria financing within the global fund allocation," said Prof. Ali Muhammad Pate, Honourable Minister of Health, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to the 2023 Africa Progress Malaria Report, there is a significant resource gap, with Member States facing a US$1.5 billion budget shortfall by 2026 just to sustain the current level of intervention. Furthermore, an additional annual funding of $5.2 billion is required for the continent to progress towards malaria elimination, allowing countries to fully implement their national strategic plans. The meeting builds on Africa's commitment to not just end malaria, but also to strengthen health systems and establish a new African health architecture and a new public health order built on solid
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African-owned institutions ready to respond to diseases across the continent.
The event, hosted by the African Union, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), also saw the Republic of Cabo Verde awarded for achieving malaria elimination. Cabo Verde's achievement sets a powerful example of what is achievable in Africa with strong political commitment, multisectoral collaboration, and a robust health systems approach--a malaria-free Africa.
