World Malaria Day: Towards the Elimination of Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion 25.04.2023

A mobile malaria worker performs a malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) for a plantation worker in O’Treng area, Mondulkiri province. Photo: Malaria Consortium

On this World Malaria Day, marked each year on 25th April, we would like to highlight our continued commitment and the key results we have delivered towards eliminating malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

The Regional Artemisinin-Resistance Initiative Towards Elimination of Malaria (RAI3E) is a programme that aims to escalate progress towards eliminating malaria in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. With the grant approval value of US$ 228.3 million, UNOPS Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC) is the Regional Principal Recipient for RAI3E, which is implemented in collaboration with existing Global Fund partners at the country level and under the strategic oversight of the RAI Regional Steering Committee, and is working together with the national malaria programmes and sub-recipients in the Greater Mekong Subregion.  

The Greater Mekong Subregion has made significant progress towards malaria control and elimination. Despite the rise of COVID-19 transmission across the region, the countries continued to maintain essential malaria services during the pandemic. The region has committed to eliminating Plasmodium falciparum by 2023 and all forms of malaria by 2030.

From October to December 2022, malaria case detection decreased 22% (from 25,568 to 19,891) in comparison with the same period of the previous year. The majority of cases (86%) were Plasmodium vivax cases (16,577), which is a decrease of 15% in comparison with the previous year. The number of Plasmodium falciparum and mixed malaria cases, 3,190 in total, also decreased by 47%. 

Countries such as Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam are paving the way to eliminating Plasmodium falciparum – the deadliest of the five malaria parasites – by the end of 2023. The countries are implementing an aggressive approach to Plasmodium falciparum elimination and are on track with their targets. Although antimalarial drug resistance remains a concern, the countries have seen promising results in Plasmodium falciparum elimination. 

Despite the significant promising results, the Greater Mekong Subregion countries are still doing their best to detect every last case of malaria, especially in the forested and forest-fringe areas of the region, mainly along international borders. Due to the political instability in Myanmar, there has been high population movement on the border with Thailand. Since April 2022, after COVID-19 measures were lifted, there has been a significant increase in malaria cases along the western border of Thailand, especially in the six provinces of Mae Hong Son, Tak, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Thailand is planning cross-border activities and an outbreak response plan to tackle the situation. There has been  discussion about procuring health commodities for migrant populations. 

PR-UNOPS is working closely with the national malaria programmes and sub-recipients to continue to support increased malaria service coverage for remote populations in border areas and other at-risk populations, as well as case management through health volunteers and the strengthening of national surveillance systems.

Between 2014 and 2022 in the Greater Mekong Subregion, the RAI programme contributed the following towards the elimination of malaria: 

  • 53 million+ people tested for malaria 
  • 2.4 million+ people treated for malaria 
  • 31.7 million+ insecticide-treated bed nets distributed 
  • 30,000+ volunteers trained, and malaria posts established.

The Global Fund is financing the RAI programme from 2014 to 2023 with a total of more than US$ 500 million in grants in the Greater Mekong Subregion.