Published: 7 July 2023 (Dakar, Senegal)

The African Union Commission, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), and Speak Up Africa, in partnership with the Senegal National Malaria Control Programme, joined the rest of the AU Member States in commemorating the 5th anniversary of the pan-African “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” movement. The campaign, adopted by the African Union Member States during the Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in July 2018, is now operational in 27 African countries and is dedicated to building a social movement to steer action all various levels including Heads of State and Government, First Ladies, Religious and Community Leaders, the Private sector, multisectoral ministries, Youth, Women and Girls especially in communities most impacted by malaria.

“Today, we pay tribute to all those who play an active role in the fight against malaria,” said Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. “We express our gratitude to governments, donors, private sector partners, civil society and communities who are supporting and actively participating in the ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’ movement. Now, more than ever, we must continue our efforts and strengthen collaboration to achieve our common goal of ending malaria once and for all.”

Malaria impacts Africa the most, with the continent accounting for 96% of global malaria cases and 98% of global malaria deaths. In 2021, WHO estimates showed that 603,877 Africans died from  malaria—almost 80% of whom were children under the age of five. Africa fell short of the African Union’s 2020 target of reducing malaria incidence and mortality by 40% (compared to 2015).

However, significant strides have been made due to the combined mobilization of governments, the private sector, civil society, and communities through “Zero Malaria Starts with Me.” Countries prioritized malaria interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, sustaining coverage of life saving preventive interventions.

Countries are establishing End Malaria Councils and Funds across Africa as a multisectoral approach designed to keep malaria high on the domestic advocacy and resource mobilisation agenda. Councils have to date secured US$32 million in commitments through this innovative resource mobilization mechanism designed to attract contributions and engagement from the public and private sectors, whilst engaging partners at all levels and across all sectors in the fight against malaria. Progress has also been made in promoting youth engagement in the fight against malaria, achieved by creating a network of community malaria youth champions, the malaria youth corps. The use of digitalisation and real-time data is another key strategy, aiding in promoting accountability and action in the battle against this disease. More than 40 African countries are implementing national and subnational malaria scorecards with many sharing them through the ALMA Scorecard Hub. This approach promotes evidence-informed decision-making, accountability, and action. It is only when everyone is aware of their malaria situation that they are empowered to act. Furthermore, engagement with Regional Economic Communities in Africa has been prioritised, with the intention of keeping malaria high on the regional development and financing agenda.

“These achievements highlight the need for collective efforts and strong commitments at all levels to eliminate malaria. The holistic, multi-sectoral approach promoted by the ‘Zero Malaria Starts with Me’ movement helps by pooling efforts, knowledge, and resources to reduce the burden of the disease in Africa,” said Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) and Board Chair of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

The 5th-anniversary celebrations centred on the engagement and empowerment of young people in leading the fight against malaria in Africa. As part of the event, partners held a session on youth engagement and showcased the African Union Malaria Conversation Guide for Youth,  and culminated with the presentation of a youth declaration on malaria elimination.

“Engaging young people is a powerful lever for accelerating progress against malaria. Encouraging their leadership and active participation is critical to creating positive momentum for malaria elimination in Senegal and across Africa,” said Dr Doudou Sene, Senegal National Malaria Control Program’s Coordinator.

The celebration, participated in by various stakeholders in the fight against malaria, included a high-level ceremony as well as a roundtable discussion on the successes, challenges, and achievements of the “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” movement. An immersive painting by visual artist Laolu Senbanjo will commemorate the 5th anniversary of the movement, symbolizing the journey, achievements, and future goals of the campaign.

Through “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” the malaria partners remain committed to ensuring that every man, woman and child in  Africa, regardless of their location, has access to the necessary tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria. This fifth anniversary marks not just the significant strides made in the fight against malaria, but also the strengthening of African unity in the face of a common health threat.

Concluding the event, Her Excellency Cessouma Minata Samate, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development at the African Union Commission, applauded the movement’s impact, “By working closely with AU Member States, the Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement has demonstrated the power of collective action against malaria in Africa. We encourage more African countries to join this game-changing movement. Every commitment counts, every preventive action is needed to build a continent finally free from the burden of malaria.”

Zero Malaria Ends with me!

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About “Zero Malaria Starts with Me”

The continent-wide Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign was endorsed by African Union leaders at their 31st Summit in July 2018 in support of the AU goal to end malaria by 2030. The campaign, co-led by the African Union and RBM Partnership to End Malaria, aims to spark a grassroots movement by engaging political leaders at all levels, mobilizing resources and funding, and empowering communities to take ownership of malaria efforts and hold leaders accountable in the fight against malaria. The Zero Malaria Starts with Me movement directly supports the African Union Commission’s African Leadership Meeting (ALM) Investing in Health objectives, by increasing domestic resources for health and reorienting health systems in Africa.

About the RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria is the largest global platform for coordinated action against malaria. Originally established as Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership in 1998, it mobilizes for action and resources and forges consensus among partners. The Partnership is comprised of more than 500 partners, including malaria endemic countries, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions.

About the African Union Commission

The African Union Commission (AUC) is the Secretariat of the Union entrusted with executive functions. It is composed of 10 Officials: A Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson; Eight (8) Commissioners and Staff members. The structure represents the Union and protects its interest under the auspices of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government as well as the Executive Committee. The AU Commission is made up of Portfolios. They are: Peace and Security; Political Affairs; Trade and Industry; Infrastructure and Energy; Social Affairs; Rural Economy and Agriculture; Human Resources, Science and Technology; and Economic Affairs.

About the African Leaders Malaria Alliance

Founded in 2009, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) is a ground-breaking coalition of African heads of state and government working across country and regional borders to achieve a malaria-free Africa by 2030. All member states of the African Union are members of ALMA.

About Speak Up Africa

Speak Up Africa is an African-led organization, based in Senegal, dedicated to building an Africa where growth and sustainable development are driven by Africa’s own citizens.

We convene, enable and advocate. Focusing on strategic communications, policy and advocacy, we are dedicated to supporting African leaders and citizens to take an active role in identifying and developing solutions to tackle the challenges facing our continent — including malaria, NTDs, immunization, sanitation, gender equality and global health research and development.

From our strategic base in Dakar, Senegal, our team of dedicated, nimble, industrious and bilingual experts, partners with African leaders and change-makers to put in place the right policies and secure sufficient resources to achieve our sustainable development goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.