The World Health Assembly had targeted a 75 percent reduction in malaria fatalities for Africa this. But despite all the progress made so far, this is unlikely to be attained as millions of people did not receive the required treatment and health services.

This can attributed to poor identification and logistic infrastructure. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, an estimated 278 million people lived in households without an Individual Task Number (ITN) in 2013, 15 million expectant mothers did not receive Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, and about 69 million children with malaria did not receive artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). All of these are key factors which have slowed the advancement of African countries towards the World Health Assembly target.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, stressed the need for increased malaria funding which is paramount to saving lives and expanding access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in Africa. She said this in a statement to commemorate the World Malaria Day 2015. She also stated that malaria prone countries lack universal coverage of malaria interventions. “The proportion of people protected by at least one malaria control method has increased in recent years,” Moeti explained. “[…] but total funding will only match needs if international donors and partners and national governments prioritize further investments in malaria control.”

She called on countries and stakeholders to focus on the areas most affected by malaria, while assuring them that WHO will continue to provide evidence-based guidance.

The World Malaria Day 2015, to be commemorated tomorrow, is themed: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria. This edition focuses on the need to improve financial and human resources, supplies and infrastructural investments in a bid to curtail and eliminate Malaria.