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Global Malaria Elimination:
Key Facts and Figures
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Between 2000 and 2019, the number of countries with fewer than 100 indigenous malaria cases – a strong indicator that malaria elimination is within reach – increased from 6 to 27.
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In the period 2010–2019, total malaria cases in the 21 countries that were part of the E-2020 initiative reduced by 80%.
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Over this same time period, 21 countries reported at least three consecutive years of zero indigenous malaria cases, and 10 of these countries were certified malaria-free by WHO.
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#EndMalaria #ZeroMalaria
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Twitter: @who @opsomsels @pahowho @opsoms @globalfund @drtedros @DirOPSPAHO @endmalaria @zeromalaria
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Messages:
Today, #ElSalvador marks a major milestone in its long fight against #malaria, becoming the first Central American country to receive @WHO malaria-free certification. Progress is possible – and we must continue the commitment and investment to be the generation to #endmalaria! Video
After decades of malaria diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance, #ElSalvador has achieved #malaria elimination! Congratulations on this major step to #endmalaria for good ??? Know more
“This accomplishment is a big motivation to continue working on the prevention of the reintroduction of malaria in the country.” -- Dr. Franklin Hernandez, Country Representative, PAHO/WHO Video
“2020 has been a hard year, but the pandemic hasn’t diminished our worker’s everyday efforts to sustain this accomplishment.” -- Dr. Francisco Alabi, Minister of Health, El Salvador Know more
Today, #ElSalvador was certified malaria-free by @WHO! The leadership El Salvador, #Argentina and #Paraguay put the entire region of the Americas on the path towards #zeromalaria. We can’t wait to see who will be next! @opsomsels
The #malaria map continues to shrink. Today, the number of countries and territories declared malaria-free increased to 39 thanks to #ElSalvador. We can’t wait to see who’s next! #EliminationIsPossible Know more
Congratulations #ElSalvador on reaching #zeromalaria! ? ? ? Today we celebrate the decades of work and 5,000 health workers still fighting to keep malaria at bay. @opsomsels http://bit.ly/3spqYTm
¡Felicitaciones, #ElSalvador! Today it becomes the first Central American country to receive @WHO malaria-free certification. Learn more from @pahowho and @who : Know more
#ElSalvador’s success shows that #EliminationIsPossible when governments, partners, private sector and communities maintain their commitments and the resources to reach #zeromalaria. Together, we can be the generation to #endmalaria. Video
#ElSalvador’s journey from being a #malaria hotspot to malaria-free certification is a global success story of strong political commitment, sustained health financing and partnership across sectors. Know more
El Salvador has kept malaria at bay even in the face of #COVID19 through strong early #malaria diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance systems. Today, they are @who certified malaria-free! Congratulations, #ElSalvador on this monumental achievement! ???
“We have been tracing it, as community volunteers and as a community, to make it disappear.” – community volunteer Juana “Cheli” Menjivar, Sonsonate, #ElSalvador. #ZeroMalariaStartsWithMe Video
“I have 10 years working on malaria vector control and have witnessed #malaria #elimination.” -- Marisol Molina, Microscopist, Minister of Health, #ElSalvador Video
The vision of eradicating this ancient and deadly disease relies on malaria-endemic countries building on the lessons learned from those that have achieved elimination.
El Salvador’s journey from being a malaria hotspot to malaria-free certification demonstrates how the application of best practices combined with sustained political commitment and financing can accelerate elimination.
El Salvador’s data-driven elimination strategy focused on case management and vector control and was based on a robust surveillance system supported by health facilities and an extensive diagnostic network.
El Salvador continues to allocate domestic funds to prevent re-establishment of transmission, including maintaining passive surveillance, diagnostic quality assurance, and technical training.
Domestic financing will be a key factor in funding ambitious elimination efforts over the next decade.
Approximately 87% of all funding for malaria control and elimination in the entire Americas region – including El Salvador – comes from domestic sources in the period 2018-2019.
Eliminating malaria globally could save 11 million lives and unlock an estimated $2 trillion in economic benefits from gains in productivity and health savings.
Fighting malaria is a smart investment to protect people’s health, create opportunity, and foster growth and security, especially among the most vulnerable.
COVID-19 threatens the already tremendous gains made against malaria. We must continue to fight this deadly disease and not let COVID-19 dial back decades of progress.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a serious additional challenge to malaria responses worldwide.
El Salvador has kept malaria at bay even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic through strong early malaria diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance systems.
Although El Salvador has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues its efforts to prevent the re-establishment of malaria transmission and maintain its malaria-free status.
Multisectoral collaboration helps sustain and strengthen malaria elimination efforts.
In 2015, El Salvador launched the Multisectoral National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination 2016-2020 integrating malaria activities with health promotion and illness prevention, community participation, caring for the environment, and epidemiological and entomological monitoring.
Multisectoral collaboration against malaria reduces the strain on health systems and economies in malaria-endemic areas, contributes to the sustainability and resilience of health programs, and, ultimately, helps drive progress towards the control and elimination of malaria.
Global partnerships and collaboration help countries on the path to elimination.
The fight against malaria in El Salvador has been largely funded through domestic resources. However, the technical support and catalytic resources of partners such as PAHO/WHO, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and International Development Agency (USAID), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) boosted key interventions that accelerated malaria elimination.
El Salvador’s participation in RMEI has been very important in reviewing principles and strategies in the fight against malaria, as well as for consolidating processes to achieve malaria elimination and prevent its re-establishment.