Malaria is a major public health problem and one of the most deadly diseases in the world:

• 50% of the world’s population at risk;
• 216 million malaria cases per year;
• 445,000 deaths per year including 91% in Africa;
• Funding for malaria control stalled since 2010.

It is unacceptable that it is mainly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities that continue to suffer and die from this preventable and curable disease. That is why civil society and communities have decided to join forces and work in synergy with various stakeholders more effectively to eliminate malaria.

We are a global network of civil society organizations and communities contributing to malaria elimination and ensure that communities are at the center of malaria programs.

Firm in the belief that empowered community and civil society are game-changers in health responses, we, representatives of malaria communities and civil society, have come together and formed the Civil Society for Malaria Elimination (CS4ME) network, as part of our commitment to jointly advocate for more effective, sustainable, people-centred, rights-based, equitable, and inclusive malaria programmes.

At a time when the world has the resources and tools to prevent and treat malaria, it is unconscionable how people – mainly from impoverished, vulnerable and underserved communities – continue to be affected and dying from malaria. While we commend the efforts of governments and the international community including CSOs and community engagement that brought the world closer to malaria elimination, we call for greater accountability, political will and action, resource investments, and sense of urgency to eliminate the disease and prevention of reintroduction.