Freetown — Health Ministers from West African countries, under the umbrella of the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), convened in Freetown for the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
At the gathering, leaders unveiled a renewed and urgent regional plan to eliminate malaria--the region's leading cause of death and a major barrier to socio-economic development.
Held under the theme, "Advancing Malaria Elimination Through an Integrated Regional Strategy," this year's assembly placed malaria eradication at the top of ECOWAS health priorities. The region currently accounts for more than half of global malaria fatalities, with children under five representing the majority of victims.
The assembly concluded with a strong, collective pledge: to eliminate malaria in West Africa by 2050. Ministers committed to increasing domestic financing, improving accountability mechanisms, and sustaining progress beyond traditional donor funding, emphasizing the need for robust political will.
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As ECOWAS nations move forward with a unified, science-driven agenda, regional leaders expressed hope that this moment will be remembered as the beginning of the end for malaria in West Africa.
In his address, WAHO Director General Dr. Melchior Athanase Aissi emphasized that despite years of interventions, malaria continues to inflict heavy and preventable losses on communities. He presented the regional strategic framework for malaria elimination, which prioritizes strengthened health governance, digital transformation, effective data utilization, local innovation, and community engagement.
"It is our ambition to eliminate malaria across the ECOWAS region within the next decade. By integrating strategies, aligning investments, and strengthening cross-border collaboration, ECOWAS can deliver the final blow to this ancient disease," Dr. Aissi stated. "Isolated national efforts can no longer adequately confront the rising challenges of climate change, population mobility, and growing insecticide resistance. A coordinated, ECOWAS-wide strategy is essential."
He described the present moment as a critical turning point, where scientific innovation, improved surveillance systems, and strengthened political commitment must align to drive lasting change.
"We need a coordinated regional approach built on solidarity, harmonized interventions, and strengthened data and resource sharing. No country can eliminate malaria in isolation," Dr. Aissi noted. He also acknowledged the progress made by Cabo Verde in achieving malaria-free certification, but underscored that sustaining these gains will require stronger political commitment, technical rigor, and sustained domestic financing.
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Sierra Leone's Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, echoed the urgency for continued political will, calling malaria elimination both a health priority and an economic necessity.
"Malaria drains billions of dollars in productivity every year and pushes vulnerable families deeper into poverty. We owe it to our people--especially our children--to act boldly, act collaboratively, and act now," Dr. Demby said. He stressed the urgency of intensifying malaria elimination efforts in the face of stalled global progress since 2015, declining external financing, and the growing effects of climate change on transmission dynamics.
