“E-2025 initiative” – WHO Identifies 25 countries with potential to be malaria-free by 2025

What is the News? WHO has launched the E-2025 initiative. Under this initiative WHO Identifies 25 countries with the potential to be malaria-free by 2025.

Malaria: It is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. It transmits to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

World Malaria Day:

• World Malaria Day is observed on April 25 every year by the WHO.
• The 60th session of the World Health Assembly in 2007 identified April 25 as World Malaria Day.
• 2021 Theme: “Reaching the Zero Malaria target”.

About ‘Zeroing in on malaria elimination’ Report:

• Purpose: The report provides the progress made by 21 malaria eliminating countries as part of the “E-2020 Initiative”.
  • The E-2020 initiative was launched by WHO in 2017. The initiative supported 21 countries in their efforts to get to zero malaria cases within the 2020 timeline. The countries were identified by WHO in 2016 as having the potential to become malaria-free by 2020.
• Findings: According to the report, 8 of the 21 E-2020 member countries reported zero indigenous cases of human malaria by the end of 2020. However, the progress was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About E-2025 initiative:

• Building on the successes of the E-2020, WHO has launched the E-2025 initiative.
• As part of this initiative, WHO has identified 25 countries that have the potential to eliminate malaria within a 5-year timeline.
• The countries will receive technical and on-the-ground support by WHO and its partners, in their work towards the target of zero malaria.
• In return, the countries will audit their elimination programs annually, participate in elimination forums, conduct surveillance assessments, and share malaria case data periodically.

Source: Down To Earth