Rohit Shishodia
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for accelerated research and development for malaria prevention and treatment which is crucial if the world is to eliminate malaria in the foreseeable future.

The WHO said that today less than 1% of funding for health research and development investment goes to developing tools to tackle malaria. The UN agency has also flagged the urgent need for progress to advance universal health coverage and improve access to services, and better surveillance to guide a more targeted malaria response.

Dr Marcel Tanner, Chair of the Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication report, said business as usual is not only slowing progress, but it is sending backwards effort to tackle malaria prevention and eradication. “To achieve a malaria-free world we must reinvigorate the drive to find the transformative strategies and tools that can be tailored to the local situation,” he added.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stressed that freeing the world of malaria would be one of the greatest achievements in public health. “With new tools and approaches we can make this vision a reality,” he added.

According to the WHO, children under five account for 61% of all malaria deaths. More than 90% of the world’s 400,000 annual malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.