According to the WHO, malaria affects about 200 million people worldwide every year. (Photo: Internet) Geneva (VNA) - Southeast Asiancountries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and China havepledged to join hands in combating malaria.
Health officials from the countries and World Health Organisationrepresentatives on May 23 signed the Ministerial Call for Action to EliminateMalaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion before 2030 on the sidelines of the ongoingWorld Health Assembly.
Under the document, governments of the countriespledge adequate domestic budgetary allocations for malaria elimination efforts to2030.
The signatories to the call agree to work together with relevant entities as asub-region to develop and implement cross-border elimination strategies andaction plans that concretely address the malaria-related needs.
Besides, the call for action seeks to explore innovative financing mechanismsthat tap diverse resources that may include the business sector, taxation oftobacco and alcohol and special levies on tourism, for example.
The document was originally drawn up in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on December 8,2017, affirming a "One Region, One Strategy" as its guiding principlefor malaria elimination.
According to the WHO, malaria affects about 200 million people worldwide everyyear.-VNA
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