Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance - APLMA

The launch of the Governors Ending Malaria (GEM) Coalition in Port Moresby last week marks a significant step in Papua New Guinea's commitment toward malaria elimination. Honorable Minister for Health Elias Kapavore of Papua New Guinea led the signing ceremony together with local governors.

Bringing together the governors of 9 high-burden provinces, the GEM Coalition will strengthen the alignment of national priorities with subnational action, advancing malaria elimination efforts through a whole-of-community approach grounded in an evidence-based strategy. The Coalition seeks to increase domestic resource mobilization, empower innovation, and establish a mechanism for inter-provincial collaboration to drive a stronger response where it is needed most.

Launched alongside the updated National Strategic Plan for Malaria 2026–2030, this milestone reflects ’s renewed political commitment and active sub-national leadership to accelerating progress towards malaria , towards a safer, healthier, and more equitable future for all Papua New Guineans. Read more: https://www.aplma.org/blog/press-release-papua-new-guinea-provincial-leaders-unite-against-malaria---launch-of-the-governors-ending-malaria-gem-coalition

In , the past decade’s hard-won progress is being tested by climate change. Intensifying heat, erratic rainfall and shifting transmission patterns have contributed to adverse outcomes in recent years, raising urgent questions about how current strategies are keeping pace with climate reality.

As climate-linked surges increase and hotspots become more concentrated, Bangladesh’s next chapter will depend on how quickly climate-sensitive interventions can be embedded into public health systems to safeguard elimination gains.

Read the full blog: aplma.org/blog/malaria-and-climate-in-bangladesh

Across the Greater Mekong Subregion ( ), efforts to reduce draws from valuable lessons and proven approaches that can accelerate progress across borders.

These successes reflect what is possible when sustained leadership, regional partnerships, financing and data-driven strategies come together. But in shaping the way forward to the finish line, stronger regional collaboration is needed to share, learn and adapt from proven experiences.

At the 10th Asia Pacific Leader’s Summit on Malaria Elimination, GMS countries will unite on a platform to showcase achievements, exchange insights and translate lessons into coordinated action, to ensure progress in one country can benefit all.

has shown remarkable resilience. Surges in cases have often been followed by immediate reductions, underscoring the strength and responsiveness of its malaria programme.

Today, that resilience is being reinforced through a development of an AI-enabled early warning surveillance system and a multisectoral approach that brings together domestic and international stakeholders.

As climate pressures intensify, Bangladesh is proving that adaptive, coordinated action can outpace risk and keep malaria elimination within reach.

Coming soon, the full story of how Bangladesh is turning climate pressure into action and strengthening the path toward malaria elimination.

Learn more: aplma.org/ourwork/climate-change

is within reach. Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam are making real progress, with record-low case numbers being reported. Across the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria cases have fallen significantly over the past decade — down 70% from 2012 to 2024, according to .

This progress reflects years of strong community engagement, and sustained strategic investment. But the path to malaria elimination also depends on sustained political commitment and strategic partnerships between countries – only then can malaria elimination be achieved.

At the upcoming 10th Asia Pacific Leader’s Summit on Malaria Elimination, leaders from the GMS will come together to reaffirm their commitment and deepen regional collaboration to finish the job.

Malaria transcends borders – and so must our response.

This new policy brief draws on insights from four Asia Pacific subregions and calls for stronger cross-border collaboration to drive down importation, prevent re-establishment and mitigate outbreaks – keeping the region on track for elimination by 2030.

Its six recommendations focus on what matters most: tailored approaches, institutionalised collaboration, reciprocal data sharing, empowered frontline teams, sustainable financing, integration into broader systems, and regional cooperation.

Governments, partners, and regional bodies must act together and make cross-border collaboration a priority.

Full policy brief here: Cross-Border Collaboration: aplma.org/blog/cross-border-collaboration-the-key-to-last-mile-malaria-elimination

Cross-Border Collaboration: The Key to Last-Mile Malaria Elimination - Blog - APLMA As countries across Asia Pacific make historic progress towards malaria elimination, the frontier has shifted. Cases are increasingly concentrated not in population centres, but in border areas where population movement, porous boundaries, and uneven health system capacities converge to sustain tran...

In , severe flooding is a reality for some 20% of South Asia’s population.

For , flooding is also part of the story. Wetter monsoon seasons create more favourable conditions for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of transmission.

From 2010 to 2024, Bangladesh saw three major surges in malaria cases — two of them, in 2014 and 2019, linked to flooding.

As climate pressures grow, and malaria so vulnerable to climate conditions, what is Bangladesh doing to respond?

Next week, we’ll take a closer look at how the country is building resilience to climate-related health risks. Learn more: aplma.org/ourwork/climate-change

As cases reach historic lows in the Greater Mekong Subregion, 2026 stands as a decisive year. In this last mile to elimination, political commitment is more urgent than ever – and capable of either finishing the job or risking a reversal of hard‑won gains.

On 5 June 2026, malaria leaders from Asia Pacific will convene in Vientiane, Lao PDR for the 10th Asia Pacific Leaders’ Summit on Malaria Elimination, with the theme ‘Committed to 2030: Regional Action for the Last Mile’.

In partnership with the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance - APLMA, the summit will be hosted by the Government of the Lao PDR, providing a platform for malaria leaders to reaffirm commitments and turn momentum into lasting elimination through shared responsibility and coordinated action.



A Technical Coordination Meeting in Jayapura, Tanah Papua, brought national and subnational leaders together to take stock, confront persistent bottlenecks, and chart an integrated path to accelerate AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Leprosy (ATM-L) elimination. Challenged by difficult geography, limited access to health services, uneven system capacity, and complex social and environmental realities, Tanah Papua remains at the frontline of Indonesia’s fight against ATM-L elimination

Dr Sarthak Das, CEO of APLMA, lauded the landmark launch of TOKEN* Multi‑Sectoral Standard Operating Procedure for malaria elimination, uniting all six governors in Tanah Papua under a shared accountability framework. Dr Xavier Chan, Executive Vice President of APLMA, alongside Dr Rully Amrullah, Executive Director of Perhimpunan Filantropi Indonesia, the country’s largest network of corporate philanthropies, foundations, and civil society, also highlighted the importance of mobilising a bold, multi‑sector coalition to end malaria.

The challenge is especially stark. Only 3 of 42 districts in Tanah Papua have achieved elimination, and the region accounts for around 95% of Indonesia’s malaria cases, making it the country’s enduring epicentre.

For , the path to nationwide elimination runs through Tanah Papua – and it will take collective action to see it through.

*Note: TOKEN, or Temukan, Obati, Kendalikan, is a national strategy to eliminate malaria.