June 2010

Regional and Country Malaria Profiles in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offices for South-East Asia (SEARO) and the Western Pacific (WPRO) recently updated their regional and country malaria profiles for the Mekong Malaria Program. In 1999, the Mekong Roll Back Malaria Initiative was launched to bring together six malaria control programs: Cambodia, China (Yunnan province), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, to consolidate efforts in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality throughout the subregion. Since 1999, national estimates of malaria morbidity and mortality reveal that considerable progress has been achieved. Many factors have contributed to the success in this subregion, nevertheless multidrug resistance, counterfeit/substandard drug use and population migration, among other factors, will require increased vigilance as these six countries continue their endeavor in rolling back malaria.

Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Regional and Country Profiles