Countries of the Greater Mekong zero in on falciparum malaria

Overview

The 6 countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – continue to make significant gains in their battle to eliminate malaria by 2030. In recent years, there has been remarkable progress towards elimination of the disease. Between 2012 and 2018, the reported number of malaria cases fell by 74%; malaria deaths fell by 95% over the same period.

Collectively, GMS countries reported the steepest decline to date in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The number of P. falciparum cases dropped by 65% in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year. This accelerated decrease is especially critical in view of the ongoing threat posed by drug resistance.

As the lead global technical agency, WHO supports GMS countries as they work to counter multidrug resistance and eliminate malaria. This latest bulletin provides an overview of countries' achievements to date.