Here is some good news, and some bad news.

First, the good news. I noticed when I was catching up this weekend on some reading, that several weeks ago Cabo Verde was certified as malaria free. Don’t know where Cabo Verde is? It is due west off of the coast of Africa from Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, countries I am very familiar with from my days in Mercy Ships. Cabo Verde is the third African country to receive this certification.

This is very encouraging. Combine this with news of vaccinations starting to come online, such as the mass programme that just began in Cameroon last month, we might start to see this menace punched back. According to some estimates, over 600,000 people died in 2022 from malaria, with the vast majority of cases being in Africa, with India trailing along behind with a significant case load as well.

Now the bad news. We still have a long way to go to eradicate malaria. According to the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, we have plateaued on our progress or even lost ground. It would not surprise me if this is due to pressures on the international community from some of the major conflicts that are occurring and the investments we have had to make to address Covid-19.

Regardless, we need to keep pressing ahead on this nasty disease. The technology and means is only continuing to grow, so it will increasingly come down to will and determination to see this goal realised.