Joint Press Release [WHO EMRO – GLIDE Partnership and collaboration with Ministries of Health in MENA countries]
Technical experts from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are convening at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo between 14 and 16 July 2025 for a regional meeting on preventing local malaria transmission becoming reestablished in countries that have eliminated the disease.
Hosted at the Regional Office from 14–16 July 2025 and in collaboration with the Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), the meeting brings together representatives from MENA countries to reinforce cross-border collaboration, strengthen surveillance and align regional strategies with the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.
Except for Yemen, most of the MENA Region is malaria-free but given malaria vector presence, ongoing malaria transmission in neighbouring countries, population movement and climate change, the Region faces major challenges in sustaining elimination.
“Eliminating malaria is a significant public health achievement for countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region—but the threat of resurgence remains real. This initiative showcases how innovative, data-driven collaboration can help protect these hard-won gains. Together with our Member States and partners, we are strengthening policies, surveillance systems, and response capacities to sustain malaria elimination and move closer to a malaria-free world,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The meeting stems directly from an ongoing collaborative initiative between the Regional Office, GLIDE and Ministries of Health from the MENA Region. The initiative is building an integrated knowledge platform and regional malaria database to guide prevention of re-establishment of local malaria transmission. Through the collaboration, we are building a database that brings together 100 years of historical data, maps of malaria vector habitats and environmental risk factors, creating the Region’s first integrated malaria archive.
“Eliminating malaria is a triumph – but keeping it at bay is a true challenge. Through our partnership with WHO EMRO and countries across the MENA region, GLIDE is helping turn data into action to safeguard hard-won gains and prevent resurgence. This meeting marks a pivotal step toward regional solidarity and momentum—and unveils the first systematic quantitative and qualitative documentation of malaria elimination efforts in the MENA region. The resulting resource repository, built from country data and decades of regional experience, will be a cornerstone for this foundational effort: helping countries anticipate risks, prevent reintroduction, and stop the reestablishment of local malaria transmission,” said Simon Bland, CEO, GLIDE
The initiative reflects how regional data infrastructure can empower evidence-based policy-making. To fully harness the potential of novel data, accessibility is key. Through the project – with countries’ agreement – data will be available for national and regional partners to use and build upon. It is a model example of how accessible, regional data infrastructures can drive informed, resilient public health decisions.
Over the course of the 3-day meeting, participants will engage with country presentations and case studies, and work on country malaria profiles and action planning for cross-border collaboration. A key highlight of the meeting will be the launch of the new WHO guidelines for the prevention of re-establishment of local malaria transmission. Expected outcomes include a shared regional action plan, the identification of priority needs and the setting up of a collaborative network for ongoing coordination and information exchange.