For World Malaria Day 2025, The Citizen (Tanzania) published an op-ed by the Honourable Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, Minister of Health for Zanzibar and the chair of the Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Council about how a malaria-free Zanzibar is within reach.

But what if we could finally change this story? What if malaria became part of Zanzibar’s past, not our present, and certainly not our future?

The truth is: we can do it. And even better, we are already doing it.

Zanzibar is now in pre-elimination. This means local malaria transmission has been reduced to some of the lowest levels we’ve ever seen. But that also means we’re entering the most delicate phase of all. This is the point where countries often lose focus, where the disease can resurge, where progress starts to unravel. If we don’t act deci­sively, we risk losing everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve.

But Zanzibar has chosen a differ­ent path. A bold path. Under the lead­ership of His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the President of the Rev­olutionary Government of Zanzibar, we launched the Baraza la Kumaliza Malaria Zanzibar, the Zanzibar End Malaria Council. As Minister for Health and Chair of this Council, I have seen firsthand the power of collective action. We are bringing government, the private sector, community leaders, youth, women, faith groups, and our partners into one coordinated push to finally end malaria.