Malaria elimination gaining ground in the Asia Pacific

Roly D Gosling,Rita Kusriastuti,Nancy Fullman,Maxine Whittaker,Richard Ga Feachem,Cara Smith Gueye,Mario Baquilod

doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-346

Abstract

Countries in the Asia Pacific region are making substantial progress toward eliminating malaria, but their success stories are rarely heard by a global audience. “Malaria 2012: Saving Lives in the Asia-Pacific,” a conference hosted by the Australian Government in Sydney, Australia from October 31 to November 2, 2012, will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the region’s work in driving down malaria transmission. One of the features of Malaria 2012 will be the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN), which has focused on harnessing the collective experiences of 13 countries through regional political and technical collaboration since its inception in 2009. Run by country partners, APMEN unites a range of partners – from national malaria programmes and academic institutions to global and regional policymaking bodies – to support each country’s malaria elimination goals through knowledge sharing, capacity building, operational research and advocacy.

Highlights

Countries in the Asia Pacific region are making substantial progress toward eliminating malaria, but their success stories are rarely heard by a global audience
Substantial attention is rightfully directed towards sub-Saharan Africa and Plasmodium falciparum with its higher malaria morbidity and mortality [2]
The Asia Pacific Region faces some of the most serious challenges when it comes to malaria control and elimination

Summary

Introduction

Countries in the Asia Pacific region are making substantial progress toward eliminating malaria, but their success stories are rarely heard by a global audience. As the Asia Pacific makes great strides toward eliminating malaria, its success stories are not always heard within the region, let alone among global audiences [1]. The Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) aims to fill this gap through regional political and technical collaboration, harnessing the collective experiences of 13 malariaeliminating countries (see Figure 1) and stakeholders to form a regional initiative to foster information exchange, evidence generation and advocacy for malaria elimination.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion