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As the world commemorates World Malaria Day on April 25, 2025, the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) has urged the government to take practical measures to combat malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that continues to pose a significant public health challenge in the country.
This year’s theme, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” underscores the urgent need for renewed commitment and innovative strategies in the fight against the disease.
Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. The burden is particularly devastating for pregnant women and young children. Despite significant progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths over the past two decades, the country has of late witnessed a concerning resurgence in malaria transmission.
Extreme weather events, increasing drug and insecticide resistance, and funding shortfalls are jeopardizing the significant gains that the country has made against the disease over the last 20 years.
CWGH argues that sustained funding is critical to keep prevention and treatment efforts on track.
“Seasonal chemoprevention campaigns are timed with the rainy season – missing just one cycle means children go unprotected. If mosquito nets and preventive medicines for pregnant women are unavailable, lives will be lost. When the supply of test kits and first-line treatments is disrupted, malaria cases and deaths will spiral.
“Investing in the fight against malaria not only saves lives but also boosts productivity, creates economic opportunities, strengthens national health security, and makes the country safer for everyone,” CWGH said in a statement.
In light of the resurgence of malaria cases, CWGH called upon the government to adequately reinvest in the country’s health system and malaria programmes. This includes increasing funding for vector control measures, such as the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying, as well as ensuring the availability of rapid diagnostic tests and effective antimalarial treatments.
CWGH said this should also involve prioritizing malaria funding and supporting community-based initiatives that empower local health workers to deliver essential services.
They argued that the country needs to explore modern initiatives and approaches to malaria prevention and treatment like leveraging technology and data to enhance surveillance systems, enabling timely responses to outbreaks.
“Community engagement is crucial in ending malaria. Local communities must be involved in designing and implementing malaria control strategies that are culturally appropriate and sustainable. Education and awareness campaigns should be intensified to promote preventive measures and encourage early treatment-seeking behavior.
“In this regard, CWGH urges the government to fully support and capacitate community health workers (CHWs) as they play a crucial in malaria prevention and treatment by providing testing, treatment, and education within their communities. They also engage in surveillance and promote the use of preventative measures, significantly contributing to the fight against malaria.
“Now is not the time to pause the fight. It’s the time to give everything or risk a surge in malaria cases, growing resistance, and the spread of the disease across districts including into non-malaria areas. If left unchecked, malaria will become much harder and more expensive to control thereby putting millions of lives and decades of progress at risk. The country must act decisively to end malaria as a public health threat and build a healthier, safer, more prosperous future for all.”
