World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria.
World Malaria Day was established in May 2007 by the 60th session of the World Health Assembly, WHO’s decision-making body.
The day was established to provide “education and understanding of malaria” and spread information on “year-long intensified implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas.”
Prior to the establishment of WMD, Africa Malaria Day was held on April 25. Africa Malaria Day began in 2001, one year after the historic Abuja Declaration was signed by 44 malaria-endemic countries at the African Summit on Malaria.
Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria.
In 2012, malaria caused an estimated 627,000 deaths, mostly among African children. Asia, Latin America, and to a lesser extent the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected.
World Malaria Day sprung out of the efforts taking place across the African continent to commemorate Africa Malaria Day.
WMD is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day and World AIDS Day.
According to the most recent World Malaria Report, the global tally of malaria reached 429,000 malaria deaths and 212 million new cases in 2015.
The rate of new malaria cases fell by 21 per cent globally between 2010 and 2015, and malaria death rates fell by 29 per cent in the same period. In sub-Saharan Africa, case incidence and death rates fell by 21 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.
World Malaria Day allows for corporations (such as ExxonMobil), multinational organizations (such as Malaria No More) and grassroots organizations (such as Mosquitoes Suck Tour) globally to work together to bring awareness to malaria and advocate for policy changes
Themes
- World Malaria Day 2020: “Zero malaria starts with me”
- World Malaria Day 2019: “Zero malaria starts with me”
- World Malaria Day 2018: “Ready to beat malaria”
- World Malaria Day 2017: “LETS Close The Gap”
- World Malaria Day 2016: “End Malaria For Good”
- World Malaria Day 2013-2014-2015: “Invest in the future: defeat malaria”
- World Malaria Day 2012: “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria”
- World Malaria Day 2011: “Achieving Progress and Impact”
- World Malaria Day 2009-2010: “Counting malaria out”
- World Malaria Day 2008: “Malaria: a disease without borders
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