African Union Malaria Conversation Guide For Youth In Africa

African Union Malaria Conversation Guide For Youth In Africa

Globally, there has been significant progress in the battle against malaria over the last two decades. A sharp increase in rapid diagnostic testing, access to treatment and innovative research collaborations, among other measures, has helped: avert over 7.6 million deaths since 2000; and reduce malaria transmission in many endemic countries. However, the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic puts the world at risk of losing the tremendous progress that has been achieved due to interruptions in the implementation of available solutions and delays in access to innovations.

Before the pandemic, malaria was already responsible for as many as half of all missed school days in affected areas. By continuing to invest in ending malaria, we will not only save lives that would otherwise be lost to this deadly disease; but we will also build stronger health systems that will protect communities from COVID-19 and future health crises and ultimately free some financial resources that could be reinvested in education, infrastructure and economy.

Joint effort with global partners through implementation of the Zero Malaria Starts With Me Campaign has ignited interest and zeal among youth in the AU Member States to participate in malaria response within their communities. Zero Malaria Starts with Me is a pan-African campaign through which communities are mobilised and empowered to take ownership of the fight to end malaria. The Campaign, co-led by the African Union and RBM Partnership to End Malaria, is based on three pillars: political engagement, private-sector engagement and community engagement. These pillars lay the foundation for keeping malaria high on the political agenda, raising funds to support malaria work and activating everyone from heads of state to community members. Zero Malaria Starts With Me continues to grow into a continent-wide force.

AIDS Watch Africa (AWA), whose Secretariat is housed at the AU Commission, plays an influential advocacy role in encouraging young people in the AU Member States to actively shape the world they want to live in and lead change in response to malaria, among other diseases. In this context, the AU Commission, in collaboration with the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria No More UK, embarked on developing a malaria conversation guide for youth in Africa to empower the young generation for meaningful inclusion in malaria policy dialogue and advocacy. Under the leadership of the AWA Secretariat, the guide will be availed in various visual forms to fit the diversity of media consumption by youth in Africa and ensure that no malaria youth champion is left behind.