Trieu Viet (right) has travelled with his outreach team to conduct malaria testing among the La Hu hill tribe. The rapid diagnostic test used on this young girl can provide results within 15 minutes.
Raising awareness of malaria
Most malaria endemic countries in the Western Pacific Region have been very successful at reducing malaria cases and deaths over the past decade. The WHO Regional Action Framework for Malaria Control and Elimination in the Western Pacific 2016-2020 was developed to support countries on their path towards malaria elimination. As the number of malaria cases is reduced to low levels, countries will need to make a number of adjustments to their national malaria strategies. It is critical that all health workers are aware of malaria and adopt new strategies. In elimination settings where clinicians may observe only very few malaria cases, each must be aware of patient travel history to malaria endemic areas.
To further raise awareness, WHO celebrates World Malaria Day each year on 25 April to underscore the collective energy and commitment of the global malaria community in uniting around the common goal of a world free of malaria. In the Western Pacific Region, the theme highlights the commitment of its leaders to attain a malaria-free Asia Pacific by 2030.
