World Malaria Day

  Shedding light, matching needs to responses and igniting action.  A matchbox ignites a process that starts by shedding light on the object that we want to see in detail. A toolbox gives us resources that can improve outcomes, by matching the needs with appropriated solution. The term Malaria Matchbox was, therefore, created to illustrate the idea of tool that can shed light on the different types of barriers that people face to access and utilize healthcare service s, particularly those related to malaria prevention and care. Identifying those barriers - being them sociocultural, financial, physical or related to gender norms - is an essential step to match people’s specific needs to responses that are person-centred, rights based and gender responsive . Finally, we hope that by encouraging learning and collaboration among relevant country stakeholders, the Malaria Matchbox will also ignite a more effective integrated and multi-sector action towards the global agenda to en...

  In May 2019, the World Health Assembly called for accelerated progress towards Universal Health Coverage , with a focus on poor, vulnerable and marginalized in society. It is an admirable ambition, but an impossible one unless we tackle the resurgent threat of malaria. Malaria claims the lives of more than 400,000 people each year, largely in Africa . After an unprecedent period of success between 2000 and 2016, when more than 7 million lives were saved, progress against malaria has stalled. High-burden countries have seen an increase in the number of malaria cases. Children under the age of five, pregnant women, refugees and populations affected by conflicts and natural disasters are at higher risk. Getting back on-track in the fight against malaria requires a greater emphasis on the specific country contexts where malaria programs are deployed and on the characteristics of different population groups in need of healthcare services, in order to leave no one behind. It means un...