People’s Republic of China granted malaria-free certification by World Health Organization in milestone approval for Asia Pacific

People’sRepublic of China granted malaria-free certification by World HealthOrganization in milestone approval for Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE, 30 June 2021-In akey milestone for Asia Pacific, today the People’s Republic of China hasofficially been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) asmalaria-free. The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), Asia PacificMalaria Elimination Network (APMEN) and their partner The RBM Partnership welcomeChina’s achievement and the country’s notable contributions to the fightagainst malaria, while reflecting on the successes and learnings that cansupport malaria elimination across Asia Pacific and globally.

“Chinahas had a long history of malaria. This milestone is a significant life-savingachievement for our country and a testament of the critical role and need forstrong healthcare infrastructure, tailored innovations and leadership to endmalaria”, said Prof Zhou Xiaonong, Director of National Institute of ParasiticDiseases (NIPD) at China CDC.

Chinahas now maintained zero indigenous malaria cases for four consecutive years,down from an estimated 30 million cases and 300,000 deaths per year in the1940s.  China’s success reflects the crucialrole of multi-sector collaboration across 13 ministries, targeted interventionsfor rural, high-risk and border areas, as well as having the rightinfrastructure in place. Over ten years ago, the national malaria programimplemented the strategy “tracking infectious sources through surveillance, andresponse to clear the epidemics” with the 1-3-7 norm, a game changer formalaria surveillance and response. The norm sets out clear timelines fordiagnosis (1 day), confirmation and risk assessment (3 days) and action tocontain all malaria cases (7 days) to prevent further transmission of malaria. Theapproach has since been adopted and tailored to local settings by severalcountries in the region.

“Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease; wehave the tools to stop it’s spread and must do so as a region and together.China has proved elimination is possible even in the most populous nation.Honoring this milestone is particularly important as progress on malaria hasbeen uneven globally and in the region.” commented Dr Sarthak Das, CEO ofAPLMA. “Today, as we celebrate this accomplishment, we also acknowledge thateach country must take a unique, tailored approach to malaria elimination,particularly for their most vulnerable populations where endemicity is oftenthe highest.”

Progressagainst malaria is one of the biggest public health successes of this century. Overthe past ten years, countries in the Asia Pacific region have almost halved thenumber of malaria deaths and cases and have continued to make impressive gainstowards eliminating malaria by 2030. Among the countries in the region thatwere malaria endemic when the 2030 commitment was signed, China is the secondcountry to be certified malaria-free, after Sri Lanka. In order to keepmomentum in countries that are nearing malaria elimination, APLMA and APMEN arecalling for continued urgency, an increase in global leadership and resources,to both protect the gains made against malaria over the last two decades and furtherbolster health systems against emergent communicable threats as we strive todefeat malaria within Asia Pacific and globally.

Withover two and a half billion people in Asia Pacific still at risk and in someareas, with malaria cases rising, it is critical that the elimination gainsmade in Asia Pacific do not go to waste with threats to progress being leftunaddressed. Sustaining malaria surveillance as part of the broader healthsystem will be critical, in China and other elimination countries, to preventthe reintroduction of malaria and keep Asia Pacific malaria-free. APLMA andAPMEN stand committed, together and with key stakeholders across the region, tomake the preventable burden of communicable disease a thing of the past.

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For further information and media enquiries:

Dimple Natali – Director of Global Communications, APLMA

E: dnatali@aplma.org T: +65 8569 1890  

Rachael Teo – Senior Account Executive, GCI Health

E: rachael.teo@gcihealth.com T: +65 9815 8421

• For the press release in English
• For the press release in Mandarin

Asia Pacific one step closer to eliminating malaria

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria, WHO & APLMA celebrates China’s success in getting from 30 million malaria cases to zero

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From 30 million cases to zero

The WHO certifies China malaria-free

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