Islamabad, President Asif Ali Zardari emphasized the need for a comprehensive and unified approach to combat malaria across Pakistan in his address on World Malaria Day, calling on all sectors of society to intensify their efforts towards making Pakistan malaria-free.
According to Pakistan Peoples Party, President Zardari, in his message, urged provincial governments, healthcare providers, NGOs, private entities, philanthropists, community leaders, and media to collaborate extensively. He highlighted the importance of raising awareness about malaria control and improving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to alleviate the suffering of affected individuals. The President underlined that malaria is preventable, diagnosable, and treatable, demanding collective action.
The theme for World Malaria Day 2024, “Advancing health equity, gender equality, and human rights,” reflects the broad-based effort required to tackle the disease. President Zardari also detailed the government’s commitment to the T3 Strategy: TEST, TREAT, TRACK, a new initiative under the Global Malaria Programme aimed at ensuring that every suspected case of malaria is tested, confirmed, and treated, with rigorous tracking to inform policy decisions.
He expressed his satisfaction with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination’s approach through the Common Management Unit-CMU Malaria, which focuses on both prevention and treatment, paying special attention to vulnerable groups. The President also mentioned the setbacks in malaria control due to the 2022 floods, which significantly increased malaria cases and impeded past progress. He called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including international partners, to address this urgent challenge.