2021 Asia Pacific Leaders Dialogue for Malaria Elimination

2021 Asia Pacific Leaders Dialogue for Malaria Elimination

 RegionalCollaboration for Malaria Elimination & Health Security

11:00AM - 3:00 PM SGT (GMT+08)

Virtual

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The2021 Asia Pacific Leaders Dialogue for Malaria Elimination held on 13December in partnership with the Royal Government of Bhutan, Asia PacificLeaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network(APMEN), was a significant moment where senior leaders from the region pausedto focus their attention on malaria elimination. The event brought together, over400 leaders, country partners, international and regional global healthorganisations, donor agencies and civil society organizations from 54 countries,across Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe and the United States.

Weare delighted so many of you were able to join us! Below is a summary of keyhighlights from the Dialogue.

On behalf of the Prime Minister of Bhutan, the LeadersDialogue was opened by H.E. Dr Tandi Dorji, Hon'ble Minister of ForeignAffairs, Bhutan. The Foreign Minister focused on the challenges of last mileelimination and called upon all countries to “Sustain this commitment andreinvigorate efforts towards eliminating malaria. This will require greater andeffective collaboration and coordination between countries for jointelimination response, especially when countries are nearing the end stage ofmalaria elimination.”

H.E.Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare India,during his keynote remarks announced that India will host the 2022 SeniorOfficials Meeting on Malaria Elimination, coinciding with India’s 75thAnniversary of Independence. The minister also stressed that border areasremain challenging and called for commitment towards working together acrossborders and sectors.

Theministerial panel discussion on ‘Cross sectoralapproaches towards malaria elimination’ brought togetherH.E. Dasho Dechen Wangmo, Hon’ble Minister for Health Bhutan and H.E. Dr SophonMekthon, Hon’ble Vice Minister of Public Health Thailand.  Speaking oninter-ministerial collaboration, the health minister shared that Bhutan hasalways been guided by the overarching principle of ‘Health in all and healthfor all’ and recognises that multi-sectoral approaches are critical towardseliminating diseases. The vice minister stated that inter-sectoralcollaboration and community involvement are key components in Thailand’selimination strategy, as the country moves towards integrating malaria into thebroader health system.

Almosttwo years into the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems throughout the world havebeen tested in unprecedented ways. The session, ‘A recap ofmalaria situation amidst the pandemic’explored the impact ofCOVID-19 on malaria control activities and how malaria programs have adaptedtheir malaria response to maintain momentum towards elimination. NationalMalaria Programs leads from Pakistan, Cambodia and Malaysia, presented theirefforts on adapting their malaria response to maintain momentum towardselimination. APLMA also launched a new report, Malaria Elimination in Asia Pacific Amidst COVID-19: ATest of Resilience, which sheds light on how countries inthe region maintained malaria elimination efforts despite the pandemic.

Thesession on ‘Crossborder collaboration for malaria elimination’ was kicked off with opening remarks from Dr PoonamKhetrapal Singh, Regional Director – World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) where she urged countries pursuingelimination to address cross border issues early on in their strategies and torevisit them often. Cross-border interventions must be approached in the spiritof collaboration and in recognition of the many benefits it will accrue to thevulnerable populations on both side of the border.

The‘Sustaining financing for malaria elimination during thepandemic’ session featured senior leaders from Sri Lanka,China and Vietnam and underlined lessons we can learn on budget prioritization,especially with the goal of elimination by 2030 in mind.

During the final session, ‘Regionalapproaches to nearing the elimination goal’, Dr TakeshiKasai, WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific, highlighted the successes ofboth China and Malaysia in eliminating indigenous malaria in their respectivecountries, as well as the continued gaps in the Pacific due to lack of adequatesurveillance and response activities to halt transmission in the highest burdenprovinces. Senator the Hon. Zed Seselja, Minister for International Developmentand the Pacific, Australia noted the importance of malaria elimination toregional health security. He also spotlighted the recent reversal in Papua NewGuinea’s (PNG) previous malaria gains and the need to sustain ongoingcommitments in PNG. 

To conclude the Leaders Dialogue, the Co-Chairs endorsed a ‘Call-to-Action’ statement to renew theregions shared vision for a malaria-free Asia Pacific.

Weare grateful and honoured to have convened such a momentous gathering inpartnership with H.E. Dr. Lotay Tshering, Hon’ble Prime Minister and H.E DrTandi Dorji, Hon'ble Minister of Foreign Affairs and thank them for theircollaborative spirit in the effort to eliminate malaria across the Region.

Ourdeepest thanks to you all, our partners, for also joining us and for yourcontinued support towards a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030.

Best wishes,

DrSarthak Das, DrPH

ChiefExecutive Officer

AsiaPacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA)