MEG IX meeting
October 14-17, 2014
Colombo, Sri Lanka
The 9th Malaria Elimination Group Meeting focused on Sri Lanka’s success in eliminating malaria. After a turbulent past with malaria - on the brink of elimination in the 1960s before a deadly resurgence – the island nation has reported zero indigenous cases since November 2012. Presentations and discussion focused on learning from their achievement as well as how they can hold the line and prevent reintroduction.
Other key themes from the meeting included the need for standardized elimination indicators, a debate of the use of Mass Screen and Treat as a strategy for elimination, the need for guidelines for calculating Population at Risk, and the role of the Global Fund in supporting global elimination and eradication goals.
The 9th MEG meeting convened world renowned experts in malaria, representatives from Ministries of Health of malaria-endemic countries in Asia and Africa, the World Health Organization, and international health donors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative.