On the occasion of World Malaria Day, 25 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of Oman launched a booklet on the success of the malaria eradication programme in Oman.
Until recently, malaria was endemic in Oman and a malaria control programme was established in the 1970s, in close collaboration with WHO. In 1991, the Ministry of Health established a malaria eradication policy and took a more aggressive approach to the prevention and control of malaria which led to a rapid and dramatic decline in the disease.
Although the majority of reported malaria cases are now imported, sporadic outbreaks of malaria due to local transmission still occur requiring the continuation of a strong malaria surveillance and control programme.
World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the 2007 World Health Assembly. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination. The theme for the 2013–2015 campaign is "Invest in the future. Defeat malaria."