Southeast Asian nations, China pledge to fight malaria

According to the WHO, malaria affects about 200 million people worldwide every year. (Photo: Internet)

Health officials from the countries and World Health Organisation representatives on May 23 signed the Ministerial Call for Action to Eliminate Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion before 2030 on the sidelines of the ongoing World Health Assembly.

Under the document, governments of the countries pledge adequate domestic budgetary allocations for malaria elimination efforts to 2030.

The signatories to the call agree to work together with relevant entities as a sub-region to develop and implement cross-border elimination strategies and action plans that concretely address the malaria-related needs.

Besides, the call for action seeks to explore innovative financing mechanisms that tap diverse resources that may include the business sector, taxation of tobacco and alcohol and special levies on tourism, for example.

The document was originally drawn up in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on December 8, 2017, affirming a "One Region, One Strategy" as its guiding principle for malaria elimination.

According to the WHO, malaria affects about 200 million people worldwide every year./.

VNA