Rwanda celebrates World Malaria Day with the theme “Zero Malaria Starts with Me, Time to innovate, focus and implement”; to unite efforts in community mobilization to fight against malaria through increased awareness of the community and all stakeholders in the fight against malaria and the provision of malaria prevention and control interventions in different districts.

The day will be officially celebrated at Bukure sector in Gicumbi district, Northen Province where the community will be mobilised to fight and prevent malaria.

To register the milestones, there was a need of robust efforts that requires evidence-based interventions and strong collaboration with all relevant stakeholders especially in implementation of appropriate Malaria prevention and control interventions and quality health delivery services.

Rwanda has registered a remarkable progress to eradicate Malaria as severe Malaria cases fell from 7,054 in 2018/2019 to 1,831 in 2021/2022.

Uncomplicated Malaria cases also decreased from more than almost 4 million people to less than a million in 2021/2022 as most of the Malaria cases are treated at the community level.

Rwanda has registered a remarkable progress to eradicate Malaria as severe Malaria cases fell from 7,054 in 2018/2019 to 1,831 in 2021/2022.

Uncomplicated Malaria cases also decreased from more than almost 4 million people to less than a million in 2021/2022 as most of the Malaria cases are treated at the community level.

The fatality of Malaria dropped from 264 people in Rwanda who succumbed to the disease in 2018/2019 to 71 who were killed by Malaria in 2021/2022.

These achievements have been possible with the visionary leadership and accountability which was enhanced by implementation of high impact preventive interventions of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and the countrywide Mosquito nets distribution as well as innovations such as community-based interventions, access to community health insurance, and performance-based financing among others.

Meanwhile, the determinants of malaria have roots beyond the health sector and the roles of other sectors are to be harnessed to prevent and control malaria in Rwanda.

A multi- sectoral approach led by the Ministry of Health will have added value in promoting effective financing synergies between malaria control and other key development agendas.

It is imperative that stakeholders i.e. the Government, development partners and the private sector join hands to avail and commit the necessary resources.

Hence, the celebration of the World Malaria Day in Rwanda Will be an opportunity to combine efforts in the community mobilization to fight against Malaria through an increased awareness of the community and all stakeholders in malaria response and providing Malaria prevention and control interventions in different districts.

This is also a chance to shine a spotlight on the Global efforts to control malaria and an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment, innovation and sustained political commitment for Malaria prevention and control.