20 April 2005 

What ? Africa malaria Day (AMD) 2005
The theme for Africa Malaria Day 2005 is Unite Against Malaria while the accompanying slogan is Together We Can Beat Malaria.
When ? 25 April 2005

Why ?   AMD commemorates the day in 2000, when African Heads of State or their representatives from 44 endemic countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, for the first ever African malaria Summit. At this summit, they signed the historic Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action which commits governments to reduce by 50% the malaria burden in Africa by the year 2010.

This year marks the halfway point between 2000, when the Abuja Declaration was signed, and 2010, the year by which African leaders pledged to halve the burden of malaria in the region. It is an opportunity for stocktaking and charting the course of the next five years and beyond.

Who?    Malaria-endemic countries in the WHO African Region and the malaria control community worldwide will observe the Day.

How ?   The Day will be commemorated with a variety of activities by a wide range of groups including governments, NGOs, schools and communities etc. in both malaria-endemic and industrialized countries. As part of events to commemorate the Day, global, regional and sub-regional Roll Back Malaria partners will join the national authorities in Zambia in a series of special events for the regional commemoration of AMD 2005. Similar high-profile events are being planned for Washington and Brussels to remind the international community of the need for concerted action to 'beat' malaria

For more information, contact:

Harare: Dr Magda Robalo; Tel: + 47 241 38167; robalom [at] afro.who.int
Geneva: Pru Smith; tel: + 41 (0) 477 17 44; smithp [at] who.int
Zambia: Dr Stella Anyangwe; Tel: (2601)255-322; sanyangwe [at] who.org.zm

Brazzaville: Sam Ajibola, Tel: +47 241 39378; ajibolas [at] afro.who.int