Published: 11 November 2024

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance congratulates the Government of Zimbabwe on its launch of the African Union Zero Malaria Starts With Me campaign (ZMSWM). Vice President of Zimbabwe, General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Friday launched the Zero Malaria Starts with Me (ZMSWM) Campaign. Launched in 2018, the continental campaign is a community-centered social movement that brings together all stakeholders from the grassroots level to Heads of State and Government level. The continent-wide campaign fosters multi-sectoral action including advocacy, resource mobilisation, and strengthened accountability to eliminate malaria in Africa by 2030.  The launch in Zimbabwe coincided with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Malaria Day which concluded the commemorative week.  The SADC Malaria Day was attended by Ministers of Health in the SADC region, traditional leaders, Health Care Professionals, policymakers, development partners and thousands of community members.

The SADC malaria week launched under the theme ‘Resilient Health Systems and Communities key to Malaria Elimination’ underscores that we can only eliminate malaria with robust health systems that can be accessed by all citizens including the most vulnerable. We must ensure equitable access to essential services and actively work towards the elimination of malaria as a public health threat. In this endeavour, no one and no place is left behind in our fight against this preventable disease. Everyone in SADC must have access to malaria prevention services, diagnostic and treatment services on time.

H.E. Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Vice President of Zimbabwe

Malaria elimination efforts in the SADC region have made remarkable progress, yet significant challenges persist. In 2023, 82.8% of the region’s population lived in malaria-endemic areas with varying levels of transmission intensity. The region, as a whole, recorded a 13% rise in malaria cases, with 76 million cases reported—the highest in the past five years—up from 66.8 million in 2022. The incidence rate stood at 185.96 per 1,000 people. However, malaria-related deaths decreased from 42,867 in 2022 to 38,740 in 2023, lowering the mortality rate to 9.5 deaths per 100,000 people.  Children under five remain disproportionately affected, with a risk of contracting malaria three times higher and a sixfold risk of death compared to older age groups.

Despite these challenges key achievements include a reduction in malaria-related deaths across all SADC Member States and expanded access to malaria services. However, the continued rise in malaria cases highlights the persistent challenges including climate change, extreme weather events, declining domestic resource commitments to the malaria elimination efforts with more than half in unmet financial needs, reduced focus on quality and delays in deploying key preventive interventions ahead of malaria transmission seasons. The emergence of insecticide and drug resistance presents a new frontier in the battle against malaria.

To address these challenges, the region must adopt strategies that promote multi sectoral participation and leverage regional institutional capacities and expertise. This includes enhancing surveillance systems, cross-country data sharing and use of data to optimise deployment of interventions, exploring new tools for vector control and case management, sustaining cross-border initiatives and improving regional cooperation. The Region is working collaboratively to track progress through the regional scorecard for accountability and action.

These efforts are essential for achieving the 2030 malaria elimination targets and will not only accelerate the reduction in malaria mortality and morbidity but also contribute to building resilience in the healthcare delivery systems and regional preparedness capacities for a coordinated response against future vector-borne disease epidemics.   While support from external partners has been crucial, increasing domestic financing and exploring innovative ways to improve service delivery efficiency will mitigate risks associated with shifting global funding priorities. As the region moves toward 2030, innovation, adaptability, and collaboration will be key to overcoming persistent barriers and achieving the malaria elimination agenda. The Government of Zimbabwe is working on establishing a multisectoral End Malaria Council that will bring leaders from both the private and private sectors to support efforts to mobilise additional resources.