World Malaria Day 25 April 2020
World Malaria Day 25 April 2020
As the world grapples with the new health threat of COVID-19, we’re asking people everywhere, on this World Malaria Day to call on their leaders to protect and strengthen our health systems.
We’ve seen huge success over the past two decades beating malaria, saving more than 7 million lives and preventing over 1 billion malaria cases.
This year, on 25 April, we’re thanking health workers worldwide for carrying out their life-saving work under the pressure of a global health crisis.
We must continue to urge our leaders to take action, to build up our health systems and to protect our frontline health workers so that we can keep up the fight against deadly diseases like malaria and new health threats.
Health Heroes
Malaria health workers save lives every day. On World Malaria Day we’re celebrating their fantastic work by thanking them as they are now also on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.
Join us on social media at 2 pm BST on 25 April to call on leaders to invest in keeping our health workers safe and our health systems strong #HealthHeroes.
I'm joining the Twitter cheer to celebrate amazing health workers around the world who continue their life-saving work under the pressure of a global health crisis. Join us and call on leaders to fund our health systems and protect our #HealthHeroes this #WorldMalariaDay
GET INVOLVED: URGENT ACTION IS CRITICAL TO SAVE LIVES
Join us to urge world leaders to keep up the fight, use the Zero Malaria Starts With Me Toolkit this World Malaria Day. You’ll find suggested social media posts, graphics and posters.
Malaria & COVID-19
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is testing the resilience of even the most robust of healthcare systems. Right now, vital anti-malaria programmes such as spraying, mosquito net distribution and essential testing and treatment are all threatened as lockdowns are implemented, and the coronavirus takes hold in malaria-endemic countries.
We know from previous disease outbreaks that when they hit malaria-affected countries, deaths from malaria can rise even higher. In 2014, when Ebola overwhelmed many healthcare systems, vital funds were diverted away from malaria. It’s estimated there was a 7,000 increase in malaria-associated deaths for children under 5 in the countries hit by Ebola.
Governments and the international community must come together to help countries facing coronavirus and malaria. We must help the poorest and most vulnerable, so they are not put at even greater risk.
Many countries are on the brink of eliminating malaria. We can beat it entirely within a generation, but only if the gains we have made to date are not lost during the current health crisis.
