Responding to the double challenge of malaria and COVID-19
The recent stalling of global progress on malaria has been further compounded by COVID-19. How can countries safely maintain essential malaria services during the pandemic? What actions are needed now to secure a strong footing for future success in tackling malaria and other urgent health challenges?
Two virtual forums on 3-4 September, co-hosted by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, took stock of the current situation in countries affected by both malaria and COVID-19, including successes, pain points, best practices and lessons learned. On day 1, participants heard from country-based experts about the incredible work that has been done to maintain critical malaria services. Their shared insights formed the basis of discussions on day 2 with national and global health leaders.
Virtual forums
Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria
“Through strong leadership and coordination, hard work and persistence, millions of mosquito nets have been delivered, hundreds of thousands of houses have been sprayed, and millions of children have been reached with seasonal malaria chemoprevention. To achieve these successes under the current circumstances is almost beyond belief.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
“In April of this year, we predicted that malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could double this year alone if access to nets and antimalarial treatment was severely curtailed. We issued new guidance that describes how countries can safely maintain core malaria services. It makes clear that countries need not choose between protecting their populations from COVID-19 or malaria; they can – and should – do both. I’m glad to say that so far, our worst fears have not been realized.”
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa
“More than 380 000 Africans lost their lives due to malaria in 2018. We can anticipate that, this year, this disease will continue to claim far more lives than diseases like COVID-19 or Ebola. Recognizing that accelerated action on malaria relies on countries having stronger health systems and services, we are taking an integrated approach guided by a triple response framework of technical, health systems and multilateral responses – the same triple response that has been deployed in the ongoing COVID-19 response.”
Dr Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India
“In early January 2020, India came face to face with the COVID-19 pandemic. Immediately, various organs of the government, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, started working in a collaborative manner to strengthen health systems across the country. Health systems were not only strengthened – they were also repurposed to deal effectively with the growing pandemic.”
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health of Uganda
“The response to the COVID-19 pandemic and malaria, among other essential services, calls for political commitment and social responsibilities. We must establish strong public health systems that embrace private and community responses. Uganda is committed to a quality COVID-19 response and to ensure access to quality services for all priority diseases by those in need.”
Mr Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
“We all came together, and there was a huge determination to avoid the worst-case scenario – to ensure that malaria bednet and IRS campaigns stayed on track, that ACTs and RDTs were delivered and made available. I think the community responded remarkably effectively, and that we have managed to avert the worst-case outcome.”
Dr Mirta Roses Periago, Director Emeritus of the Pan American Health Organization, and Board Member of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria
“Should we focus on malaria or COVID-19? The answer is both. The malaria community has decades of experience and solid knowledge and expertise. And in many countries, malaria programmes provide a platform for delivering malaria interventions, as well as those necessary for tackling any emerging disease.”
Dr Philip Welkhoff, Director for Malaria, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
“The COVID-19 pandemic is showing the importance of timely, accurate and geo-localized data and modeling for public health. We see what happens when we don’t have access to reliable and timely data: health systems can get caught on their back foot and our responses delayed.”
Dr David Nabarro, Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General on COVID-19
“We must never underestimate COVID. This virus is a dangerous enemy…. It’s here to stay. We are going to have to learn to live with it. And in relation to COVID, we are frankly at the beginning of what is going to be a really difficult marathon.”
Dr Dyann Wirth, Chair of the WHO Malaria Policy Advisory Committee
“Over the past 2 decades, malaria programmes have functioned as single disease programmes, and there have been many successes. However, going forward, I think there's going to be a critical need – as we see with COVID – for integration with other infectious diseases and with universal health coverage, while maintaining a focus on reducing malaria burden and eventual elimination.”
Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme
“We cannot sufficiently overemphasize the equity dimension of our malaria fight – one in which, it is probably fair to say, we have not done sufficiently well up to now. A focus on reaching the hard-to-reach, the most vulnerable. Having the equity dimension as a primary driver of our malaria actions is essential.”