An open letter from APLMA envoy to the leaders of the eighteen East Asia Summit nations

ASIA PACIFIC FREE OF MALARIA BY 2030

Two billion citizens remain vulnerable to malaria across Asia Pacific

An open letter to East Asia Summit Leaders

Recent years have presented unparalleled challenges to global health security. Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have shown that disease does not respect borders. There have also been great successes: millions of children are alive today as a result of our combined efforts to tackle malaria.

However, Asia is now facing a malaria emergency. One that could have a disastrous impact on our own people and on global health security. Having halved deaths from malaria in just 15 years, the failure of the most effective antimalarial drugs in the Greater Mekong Subregion threatens those hard-won gains for all of us.

At last year’s East Asia Summit, 18 Heads of Government – representing 55% of the global population – made an historic commitment to achieve an Asia Pacific free of malaria by 2030. At this year’s summit on 22nd November, Leaders will consider the Malaria Elimination Roadmap prepared by the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA). Based on wide consultation across the region, the Roadmap highlights steps countries may take to accelerate the defeat of this disease.

We commend the foresight of our leaders in making a crucial commitment to eliminate malaria. We ask for your leadership this year to endorse this roadmap, to move us forward to achieving this important goal.

For the first time in human history, an Asia Pacific free of malaria is within reach. In achieving it, we will strengthen global health security, save more than a million lives, and bolster regional prosperity by generating over US$ 300 billion in economic benefits.

Let us join hands and move forward together.

An open letter published in the Financial Times on 21 November 2015. View original source