World Malaria Day 2016: End malaria for good
Each year, WHO and partners unite around a common World Malaria Day theme. This year?s theme "End malaria for good" reflects the vision of a malaria-free world set out in the "Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030". Adopted in May 2015 by the World Health Assembly, the strategy aims to dramatically lower the global malaria burden over the next 15 years. Its goals are ambitious but attainable: ·reducing the rate of new malaria cases by at least 90% ·reducing malaria death rates by at least 90% ·eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries ·preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free The timeline of 2016-2030 is aligned with the "2030 Agenda for sustainable development", the new global development framework endorsed by all UN Member States. According to WHO?s "World malaria report 2015", there has been a major decline in global malaria cases and deaths since 2000. Progress was made possible through the massive expansion of effective tools to prevent and treat malaria, such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, diagnostic testing and anti-malarial medicines. Significant challenges remain however: globally, about 3.2 billion people ? nearly half of the world?s population ? are at risk of malaria. In 2015, there were an estimated 214 million new cases of malaria and 438,000 deaths, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of people are still not accessing the services they need to prevent and treat malaria. World Malaria Day offers an annual opportunity to highlight advances in malaria control and to commit to continued investment and action to accelerate progress against this deadly disease. To achieve the targets of the "Global technical strategy" annual investment for malaria control will need to triple from current levels, reaching US $8.7 billion annually by 2030.
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