President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday urged all provincial governments and stakeholders to collaborate in controlling the spread of malaria and make Pakistan a Malaria free country.
“I urge our healthcare providers both in the public and private sector, the non-governmental organizations, private entities, philanthropists, community leaders, media and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the Malaria control issues but also in alleviating the sufferings of ailing human beings through improved diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,” the president said in a message on World Malaria Day.
He said the day which is observed every year on April 25, is a reminder of the need to undertake concerted efforts in raising awareness and finding solutions to meet the growing challenges to control Malaria in the endemic areas of the country. Malaria is preventable, easy to diagnose and treatable, which entails collective efforts by all stakeholders.
The global theme for WORLD MALARIA DAY 2024 is “ Advancing health equity, gender equality and human rights”.
He said the government of Pakistan is committed to cater to the health needs of the population and is committed to implementing the Global Malaria Programme’s new initiative, T3 Strategy: TEST. TREAT. TRACK.
This initiative is built on the principle that every suspected Malaria case is tested, confirmed and treated with a quality-assured antimalarial medicine. It is also imperative that the disease is tracked through timely and accurate surveillance systems to guide policy and operational decisions, the president added.
“I am pleased to note that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination has made concerted efforts through the Common Management Unit-CMU Malaria to address various risk factors. I am also pleased to know that a holistic strategy has been adopted by Common Management Unit-Malaria focusing both on prevention and treatment of the disease with special attention to vulnerable groups”, he remarked.
Unfortunately, he said the devastating floods in 2022 have caused an exponential rise in Malaria cases in different parts of the country. All the progress made in Pakistan towards malaria control over the last decade, has been greatly undermined by this massive natural disaster. “I therefore, call upon all Provincial governments, UN Agencies, Development Institutions, Foundations and international partners to come together to cope with this alarming situation and gear up for a concentrated effort towards controlling Malaria in the country.”
PM Message: As the world observes World Malaria Day on Thursday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif called for a vigorous political commitment and adequate investment strategies to reach the goal of a world free from the disease.
The prime minister, in a message on the Day, stressed the need to learn from each others’ experiences and support each others’ efforts in combating the disease.
He said the theme for World Malaria Day 2024 was “Advancing health equity, gender equality and human rights” which was an undertaking to involve multiple stakeholders i.e. policy makers, donors, healthcare providers, and community members from all walks of life in the fight against malaria.
He said the research and academic institutions needed to flag scientific advances to both experts and the general public, international partners, companies and foundations to showcase their efforts and reflect on how to further scale up malaria control interventions.
“The aim of Government of Pakistan, in this regard, is to get more people involved in the fight against the disease that affects more than 1 million Pakistanis every year,” he remarked.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that despite the country’s achievements in malaria control, sustaining the gains remains a challenge.
“It is my belief that every individual has the right to live a healthy and prosperous life with dignity. Everyone must have access to quality-assured malaria testing and treatment facilities, free of cost, at their doorsteps,” he added.