Consistent with the goals established by World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 (GTS), and in accordance with the Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating and Sustaining Malaria Elimination signed in 2017 for a malaria-free South-East Asia Region by 2030, countries in the Region have made enormous and gratifying progress. The Region has the steepest decline in malaria burden among all WHO regions in recent years.
To attain the regional goal of a South-East Asia free of malaria by 2030 remains elusive unless strategies are re-thought and efforts are reinforced. Being the only region to reach almost all GTS milestones for 2020, it is time to review and re-think strategy and action with the resolute aim of achieving regional malaria elimination goal.
The meeting was attended by Dr Dipendra Raman Singh, Director General, Department of Health Services, and Dr Krishna Poudel, Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.