Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID-19

Working Groups

Chaired by Professor Rose Leke, this global engagement was organized across the following three workstreams. Together, Working Group members consulted with a range of stakeholders—with a focus on those working on the front lines and those most affected by the disease—to consider global malaria challenges and opportunities in the context of COVID–19.

Malaria Governance

WG #1

Co-Chairs: Professor Michael R. Reich and Dr Specioza Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe
Authors: Drs Jesse B. Bump; Nii Ayite Coleman; Kelechi Ohiri, Jimmy Opigo, Ravindra Rannan-Eliya, and Anya Guyer

Integrated Service Delivery for Malaria (including R&D and private sector)

WG#2

Co-Chairs/Authors: Professor Evelyn Korkor Ansah and Corrina Moucheraud

Training & Capacity Building for Malaria

WG#3

Co-Chairs/Authors: Professors Marcia Castro, Núria Casamitjana, Margaret Gyapong, Maurice Itoe, Charles Mbogo,Friday Okonofua, Fredros Okumu, Marcel Tanner, and Dr Halima Mwenesi

Manuscripts Pre-prints (Provisional Titles)

Malaria Governance

Rethinking Governance of Malaria, by Michael Reich & Speciosa Wandira
Malaria in the Governance of District Health Systems: Engaging Communities and Local Authorities, by Nii Ayite Coleman
Governance Lessons from Other Disease Programs, by Kelechi Ohiri, Ifeyinwa Aniebo & Olufunmilayo Akinlade
Financing Malaria, by Ravi Rannan-Eliya
Decolonizing Malaria Governance, by Jesse B. Bump & Ifeyinwa Aniebo
Rethinking Communications for Governance of Malaria Programs, by Jimmy Opigo & Anya L. Guyer

Integrated Service Delivery for Malaria

Rethinking Integrated Service Delivery for Malaria, by Evelyn Ansah & Corrina Moucheraud

Training & Capacity Building for Malaria

Rethinking Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa: Reflections on Ways to Accelerate Progress and Sustain Gains, by Margaret Gyapong, Fredros Okumu, Núria Casamitjana, Marcia Castro, Maurice Itoe, Friday Okonofua, and Marcel Tanner
Rethinking Human Resources and Capacity Building Needs for Malaria Control and Elimination in Africa, by Halima Mwenesi, Charles Mbogo, Núria Casamitjana, Marcia Castro, Maurice Itoe, Friday Okonofua, and Marcel Tanner

Key Messages

Why now?

Malaria elimination is possible – 10 countries have been certified “malaria-free” in the past five years, including China which eliminated from 30 million cases to zero cases
Africa suffers 90% of the malaria burden and progress has stalled. Today, there are 220 million cases of malaria and 435,000 deaths worldwide – this is the same level of human suffering as was the case in 2015
COVID-19 also brought about the fastest vaccine and diagnostics in history, proving our ability to quickly bring new/powerfully effective treatments to bear on public health challenges – and this is exactly what’s needed to end malaria
Lessons from COVID-19 will help us rethink malaria—our assumptions, our approaches, etc.—and decide on the best solution for the situation
The COVID-19 has laid bare the limitations and inequities of our global health systems; in particular, challenge related to governance, service delivery integration, and workforce
The first step is to spark change on paper, the second step is to spark action in the community

What needs to change?

Perception of the problem
--Malaria needs to be viewed as a societal problem of development, not as a medical problem alone
Leadership of the problem
--Malaria eradication needs to be led by endemic countries in partnership with multiple stakeholders within each country
Investing in the health workforce
--Empower through readiness, training, and education of health workers at all levels, including paying community health workers
Visibility and use of reliable and real-time data, knowledge, and information
--Malaria data needs to be valued and visible and used by the public and policy makers, as has happened with COVID-19 for decision-making
Accelerating innovation
--Globally, we need to give greater attention to innovation and problem-solving for malaria elimination and support endemic countries in entrepreneurship, R&D and manufacturing
Strengthening Health Systems
--Health for all means solving malaria as a pillar of universal health coverage

Rethinking Malaria in the Context of COVID-19

Working Groups

Malaria Governance

Integrated Service Delivery for Malaria (including R&D and private sector)

Training & Capacity Building for Malaria

Manuscripts Pre-prints (Provisional Titles)

Malaria Governance

Integrated Service Delivery for Malaria

Training & Capacity Building for Malaria

Key Messages

Why now?

What needs to change?

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