Wilton Park statement on malaria elimination and acceleration towards a malaria-free world

We, the Ministers, leaders and decision-makers from Asia Pacific and southern Africa who gathered at Wilton Park (United Kingdom) on September 30–October 2, 2015 to discuss the elimination and eventual eradication of malaria,

1. Recognize the remarkable progress made by countries in shrinking the malaria map, including the accelerated gains towards the Millennium Development Goals, and emphasize the role of malaria elimination in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

2. Appreciate the support given by partners and donors, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, that helped drive this progress.

3. Acknowledge that we can achieve a malaria-free world.

4. Reaffirm our support for the implementation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Technical Strategy for Malaria (2016–2030) as endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2015, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership’s Action and Investment to Defeat Malaria (AIM).

5. As articulated in From Aspiration to Action: What Will It Take to Eliminate Malaria? underscore that a malaria-free world will only be achieved by concerted, coordinated, and collaborative efforts to eliminate malaria regionally, thereby building on national efforts.

6. Commit to promoting predictable and active political support and strengthened domestic financing for malaria elimination.

7. Recognize the need for multi-sectoral support for malaria elimination.

8. Emphasize the value of malaria elimination as a global public good to strengthen health systems and health security.

We affirm that malaria elimination towards global eradication is a worthy goal and can only be achieved with resilient national and regional collaborations, unwavering political commitment, and increased financing. We commit to support the actions identified during this conference that will advance malaria elimination in our countries and regions.

We, the Ministers and leaders from Asia Pacific,

9. Recognize the agreement made by leaders at the 9th East Asia Summit for an Asia Pacific free of malaria by 2030.

10. Note the challenge of insecticide- and multidrug-resistant malaria and its global implications, and the contribution malaria elimination will make to strengthening regional health security.

11. Affirm the role of the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Malaria Alliance (APLMA) in developing the APLMA Leaders Malaria Elimination Roadmap as a framework for shared regional action, affirm the complimentary role of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) in providing a cooperative platform for malaria programs, and recognize the support provided by other partners and collaborations in the region.

We agree that all 22 malaria endemic countries in Asia Pacific should work in partnership with each other and other nations in the region to achieve a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030, and should collaborate to strengthen cross-border and regional initiatives, build political momentum, and increase financial commitment.

We, the Ministers and leaders from southern Africa,

12. Emphasize that sub-Saharan Africa, while having the highest burden of malaria, has made great gains in reducing malaria deaths and illness between 2000 and 2015.

13. Reaffirm the goal of the four southern-most countries in Africa to be malaria-free by 2020, and the goal for a malaria-free sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, as called for by the African Union.

14. Affirm the role of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) in building political support to achieve these goals, the role of the Southern African Development Community in providing regional leadership, and the role of the Elimination 8 regional network in providing a common platform for southern African countries to implement a coordinated approach towards malaria elimination.

We agree that the Elimination 8 countries should work in partnership to achieve malaria elimination in the front-line countries by 2020 and second-line countries by 2030, should collaborate to strengthen regional data sharing and surveillance as well as cross-border initiatives, and should work to translate existing political support into financial commitment.

Read more about the meeting, here.