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cases, maintain achievements, and free the continent of malaria, a disease which, during the
last century, was the leading cause of death in almost every nation in the world.

“Malaria elimination is now closer than ever,” said PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne. However,
she also warned that “we cannot rely or relax on the actions already taken. Efforts must be

stepped-up where incidences of the disease have increased,” she added.

Since 2015, cases of malaria in the Americas have increased by 71%. 95% of the total number
of these cases are concentrated in five countries, mainly in specific areas where efforts against

the disease have been weakened. Many of those affected are indigenous populations, people
living in situations of vulnerability and mobile populations such as miners and migrants.

“If we want to eliminate malaria, we need to improve investment and expand access to
prevention, diagnosis and timely treatment of the disease in communities where the most cases
are concentrated,” said Marcos Espinal, Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases

and Environmental Determinants of Health at PAHO.

Many countries in the Region are expanding their efforts to control and eliminate malaria with
the support of PAHO, USAID and other partners. In 2013, the “Elimination of Malaria in

Mesoamerica and the Island of Hispaniola” initiative was launched with the aim of eliminating
malaria in 9 countries by 2020.

Since then, the Zero Malaria Alliance, launched in 2015, has joined the efforts to achieve this
aim of eliminating the disease in two of these countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This
year, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), along with other collaborators and PAHO as

the main technical partner, launched another initiative to accelerate efforts to eliminate malaria
in Mesoamerica.

This week, PAHO will meet at its headquarters in Washington D.C. with members and

representatives from the ten municipalities in the Region where the burden of the disease is
most concentrated, to analyze best practices to help control malaria. Representatives from the
municipalities of Cruzeiro do Sul (Brazil), Quibdo (Colombia), La Gomera (Guatemala), Les
Anglais and Les Irois (Haiti), Puerto Lempira (Honduras), Puerto Cabezas (Nicaragua), Andoas
(Peru) and Bermudez and Sifontes (Venezuela) are expected to attend.

On November 6, the Malaria Champion of the Americas Awards will also be honored. This