Malaria Day in the Americas: In the western hemisphere, 25 municipalities represent malaria’s last stronghold

Today is Malaria Day in the Americas, an opportunity to highlight efforts across Latin America and the Caribbean to control and ultimately eliminate malaria.

Countries across the region have made remarkable progress this century, reducing malaria cases by 58% (from 1.5 million in 2000 to 0.65 million in 2020). Argentina, Paraguay, and El Salvador have all been certified malaria-free and several more countries – Belize, Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Suriname – are not far behind.

Today, about half of all malaria cases across the region are concentrated in approximately 25 municipalities. From indigenous villages nestled deep in the Amazon to the rugged mountains of southwest Haiti, most of these municipalities are remote regions with limited access to healthcare. Check out the video below to learn more about these municipalities.

COVID-19 complications – from manufacturing delays to border closures – have made it increasingly difficult and expensive to deliver bed nets, treatments, and other vital malaria commodities to these remote communities. United to Beat Malaria and other partners are taking action to fill commodity shortages in these communities, ensuring they have the tools they need to sustain their malaria elimination efforts.

In 2021, United to Beat Malaria funded 51,850 courses of treatment and 7,325 rapid diagnostic tests, which our on-the-ground partner – the Pan American Health Organization – distributed to communities of greatest need across 16 countries: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Ecuador, Barbados, Bolivia, Argentina, Guyana, Brazil, Peru, and Costa Rica. We also helped cover shipping costs, which have surged during the pandemic.

Thanks to your support, in 2022 we continue to fund the purchase and delivery of malaria commodities across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Click here to learn more about malaria elimination efforts across the region and how you can take action this Malaria Day in the Americas.