The Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance’s (APLMA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sarthak Das and Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele MP met briefly in Honiara on Friday 21st March.
At the 9th East Asia Summit, 18 member governments unanimously committed to making the Asia Pacific malaria-free by 2030, assigning APLMA the crucial task of developing and executing a comprehensive roadmap to achieve this goal.
In 2018, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Pakistan joined this effort by committing to the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Elimination Roadmap. APLMA strives to support malaria elimination at both country and regional levels through advocacy, policy development, and resource mobilization.
It was revealed during the dialogue that Solomon Islands is the most highly malaria-endemic country in the Asia Pacific region- with an Annual Parasite Incidence, API, per 1,000 population surging from 30 in 2014 to 185.8 in 2023. Highest API rates are observed in Central Islands (315.3) and Temotu (289.3) and lowest in Isabel (22.8). The epidemiological situation in the country calls for urgent, whole-of-government action.
Prime Minister Manele understands the epic challenge in fighting Malaria in the country. However, the outdated National Malaria Elimination Roadmap must first be reviewed and updated. He calls on APLMA to assist the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and Government to translate the Roadmap into clear targeted elimination milestones for each province together with an implementation plan that articulate resources needed and monitoring plan to track progress.
The Prime Minister sought expertise from APLMA to advocate for and mobilise financial resources to support the implementation of the Roadmap. Discussion also revolved around a strategy to both establish control in high burden districts and accelerating progress in near elimination districts such as in Isabel Province. Greater regional cooperation, exemplified by the recent EDEN initiative signed in Port Moresby in June 2024, will also aid in gathering evidence-based practices and resource mobilization.
Dr Das expressed his deepest gratitude for the stalwart leadership and unwavering commitment of Prime Minister Manele, given the acute need for political leadership to eliminate malaria in the country.
PM Manele emphasised, his government will also collaborate with World Health Organisation and international financing institutions such as the Global Fund to help the country achieve its elimination target by 2038.
Going forward, he adds, the Government for National Unity and Transformation is taking the lead in resourcing measures to eliminate Malaria in the country.
- OPMC
