1. Strengthening Healthcare Systems 

Malaria elimination cannot be achieved within weak or fragmented health systems. Strengthening healthcare must focus on three key pillars:​ [2]​ 

• • Ensuring Access to Services: Malaria services must be fully integrated into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to ensure that vulnerable populations, particularly those in remote areas, receive continuous access to care. 

• • Accelerating Elimination Efforts: Countries must target high-burden areas, sustain high intervention coverage, and close remaining transmission gaps. 

• • Transforming Surveillance: Surveillance systems must shift from passive to active, real-time platforms that quickly detect outbreaks, trigger rapid responses, and guide decision-making for targeted control. 

2. Expanding Surveillance 

Robust surveillance is the backbone of effective malaria control. However, many African countries face significant challenges:​ [3]​ 

• • Inadequate Coverage: Remote areas and the private sector are underrepresented in national surveillance, leading to undetected malaria cases. 

• • Weak Health Information Systems: Existing systems lack the capacity to capture quality, real-time data necessary for rapid action. 

• • Data Integration Challenges: Limited integration between malaria and broader health data hinders targeted responses. 

• • Limited Data Visualization: Decision-makers often lack tools to interpret and act on data promptly.  

As a result, only 37% of symptomatic malaria cases are captured by national systems. Modernizing these systems and achieving universal coverage is vital for elimination.​ [3]​ 

3. Ensuring Universal Access to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention 

Eliminating malaria requires more than commitment— it demands consistent, equitable access to proven tools. Persistent gaps remain, particularly in high-burden countries. Priorities must include:​ [4]​ 

• • Reliable Diagnostic Access: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), quality-assured and accessible at all care points, are essential. 

• • Effective Treatment: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) must be reliably available, with strong pharmacovigilance to prevent drug resistance. 
  • Scalable Prevention Tools: Interventions such as Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), and chemoprevention (e.g., IPTp, IPTi, and SMC) must be delivered efficiently and at scale.