Notice to Readers: World Malaria Day --- April 25, 2009

World Malaria Day is commemorated on April 25, the date in 2000 when 44 African leaders met in Abuja, Nigeria, and signed the Abuja Declaration, committing their countries to cutting malaria deaths in half by 2010. Malaria is a preventable and treatable parasitic disease transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria continues to cause approximately 1 million deaths worldwide each year, with nearly 90% of these deaths occurring among young children in Africa (1).

This year's theme for World Malaria Day is Counting Malaria Out, reflecting the countdown to achieve the 2010 goal of the Abuja Declaration. Since 2000, increasing numbers of partners and resources have rapidly increased malaria control efforts, and a consensus global action plan* has been written to guide a coordinated international effort to control, eliminate, and ultimately eradicate malaria.

CDC contributes to malaria control through participation in the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), a U.S. government interagency initiative begun in 2005 to halve malaria deaths in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Benin, Ethiopia [Oromia region], Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). PMI is led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented jointly by USAID and CDC, in collaboration with host ministries of health and local and international partners. Interventions provided by PMI, national governments, and other donors are beginning to decrease malaria-related morbidity and mortality in several countries, notably Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. CDC also conducts programmatically relevant malaria research to serve as the basis for future malaria prevention and control strategies.

Additional information about World Malaria Day is available at http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/worldmalariaday. Information about malaria and CDC's malaria control activities is available at http://www.cdc.gov/malaria. Information about PMI is available at http://www.pmi.gov.

Reference

1. Bryce J, Boschi-Pinto C, Shibuya K, Black RE, WHO Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group. WHO estimates of the causes of death in children. Lancet 2005;365:1147--52.

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Date last reviewed: 4/22/2009