MPAC meets to discuss role of elimination in the Greater Mekong subregion

Earlier this September, global experts on malaria gathered in Geneva for the World Health Organization’s Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC). The MPAC meets twice a year to deliberate on and advise WHO on malaria policies and strategies. This year, the MPAC members discussed the role of elimination in addressing artemisinin resistance in the Greater Mekong sub (GMS) region. A presentation by Professor Arjen Dondrop, a leading researcher on malaria drug resistance, provided evidence that the elimination of Plasmodium falciparum in the GMS is essential to addressing artemisinin resistance. Artemisinin resistance has become a critical regional issue for the Asia-Pacific region, and two regional bodies are supporting national malaria programs to address resistance through elimination: the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA) and the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN).