Malaria-endemic countries commit to end the disease

Leaders of countries endemic with malaria have pledged to boost innovation and access to new and existing anti-malarials.

It comes as the Medicines for Malaria Venture marks its 20th anniversary in Geneva—and looks ahead to a new generation of interventions for a disease considered the world’s deadliest.

The anniversary is considering interventions as:

· Enhanced collection and sharing of epidemiological and operational data

· Innovative strategies such as the encouragement of a community-driven approach to mobilize access to antimalarial treatment in hard-to-reach rural areas

· Development of new diagnostic tools to maximize access of antimalarials to eligible patients

· Extending the age range for administering seasonal malaria chemoprevention to children above 5 years of age – pushing boundaries to increase impact.

Countries across Africa and the Asia Pacific are endemic for malaria, and their leaders have pledged to accelerate malaria elimination through domestic funding.

They will also create an “enabling policy environment” for the introduction of new tools to boost innovation and access to medicines, according to a statement from the Malaria Medicines Venture.