Australia Commits $30 Million in Funding to Combat Malaria in the Pacific

A mosquito that is known to carry diseases like malaria. Jack Leonard/Getty Images

On World Malaria Day, Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, announced an aid package for Pacific and South-east Asian nations to mitigate the mosquito-borne virus’s effects.

Ms. Wong said the new package is part of the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, which works with governments and civil society organisations in the Pacific and South-east Asia to “build a resilient, equitable, and inclusive health system.”

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths occurred in 2022. While the majority of the deaths were in sub-Saharan African regions, Malaria remains among the leading causes of death of children under the age of five worldwide.

The disease is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, and remains a significant health concern in some parts of the South Pacific, particularly in countries like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and parts of the Federated States of Micronesia. More than seven million malaria cases were reported in the region in 2022.

These areas have ongoing disease transmission, primarily due to factors such as the presence of the Anopheles mosquito vector, which spreads the malaria parasite, along with environmental factors and limited access to healthcare. Symptoms of malaria typically include fever, chills, and flu-like illness, often including symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong announced the funding on World Malaria Day. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Ms. Wong said of the $30 million package, $17 million will go towards developing new treatment options, including medicines suitable for children, via a partnership with the Medicines for Malaria Venture organisation.

Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford is currently being administered to children under 2 in at-risk countries after receiving the go-ahead from the WHO. The Lancet reported in late 2023 that the vaccine, which targets the malaria parasite before it enters the liver, had an efficacy rate of 79 percent in 5- to 17-month-olds.

James Cook University will receive $5 million in funding to aid in monitoring not only malaria but also dengue fever and the Zika virus, which are prevalent in the Pacific and Asia. The non-profit health organisation PATH will partner with nations and receive $8 million to develop malaria diagnostic tests.

Additionally, Pacific Friends of Global Health is an Australian-based advocacy partner that works to improve health outcomes in the Pacific.

“Malaria is not only a threat to the health and wellbeing of communities in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, it also impacts education, tourism and economic growth,” Ms. Wong said.

Chair and Burnet Institute CEO, Professor Brendan Crabb AC, said the funding was “a strong commitment that builds on solid progress combating malaria in our region.”

“Australia, and in particular, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is showing strong leadership on malaria. This welcome commitment reflects the world’s urgent need for greater resources and resolve to meet the goal of ending this ancient scourge as a major public health threat by 2030,” Mr. Crabb said.

Ms. Wong added that the funding is a further boost to “existing support for malaria elimination, including through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance, and the Innovative Vector Control Consortium.”

“Investing in our partnerships with our region and its capacity to test and treat malaria is clearly in Australia’s interest.”