Bloomberg: Asia Was Winning the Fight Against Malaria. Then Trump Returned

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Countries across the Asia Pacific region have been actively working toward the 2030 elimination goal. In the Greater Mekong Subregion, which includes Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, efforts were yielding real progress despite persistent challenges  – until the unthinkable happened.

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In late January, the United States Agency for International Development was given a stop-work order and many essential workers found themselves suddenly unemployed. Although some funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative survived the cuts, the uncertainty and disruption caused by the stop-work order are significant.

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This has led to immediate consequences, such as the closure of hospitals at refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border and the stacking of over 2 million mosquito nets in warehouses instead of being dispatched.

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Without this funding, the most vulnerable will pay the highest cost. Millions of vulnerable populations have long depended on this previously substantial funding, which has provided life-saving access to mosquito nets, rapid diagnostic tests and fast-acting malaria treatments – and in turn, what would have been the last mile to malaria elimination in the region.

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Dr. Sarthak Das, CEO of APLMA, emphasized the critical timing of these cuts, as the region was close to eliminating malaria. The significant impact of aid cuts has already been felt across the region. Discontinuing these USAID programs will likely reverse the region's diligent advancements and investments over the decades. Malaria resurgence is a frighteningly real possibility.

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Despite the uncertain future, Asia Pacific must continue to stand resolute against the region’s fight against malaria. Advocating for strengthened partnerships and calling for a relentlessly sufficient Eighth Replenishment of the Global Fund in 2025 will ensure that hard-earned progress remains intact.

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Health is a human right. Malaria does not discriminate – not against the borders that divide countries, nor the people it affects. The fight is relentless with evolving challenges and climates ahead of us, yet together, we can reignite our efforts towards a healthier Asia Pacific.

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