Malaria eradication: benefits, future scenarios and feasibility: a report of the Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication

A world free of malaria is a major goal of global health, unequivocally embraced by the World Health Organization (WHO) soon after its founding in 1948. This aspiration has energized and inspired generations of health workers, malaria experts and global health leaders alike. The WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme (GMEP; 1955–1969) was an ambitious attempt to achieve a malaria-free world. While the GMEP led to the elimination of malaria in many countries, it failed to achieve global eradication. Furthermore, the plan was not fully implemented in subSaharan Africa where the greatest burden of malaria was found (3). Falling short of eradication led to a sense of defeat, the neglect of malaria control efforts and abandonment of research into new tools and approaches...