The World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with African nations to diversify malaria treatment programs to combat growing resistance, according to Achu, WHO’s head of tropical and vector-borne diseases in Africa.
A new malaria variant is complicating diagnosis by evading widely used testing methods. Venkatesan from USAID highlighted that the increased transmission driven by the Anopheles stephensi mosquito could accelerate the spread of drug resistance and further mutations, making the disease harder to detect.
Experts also pointed to a lack of coordination among African governments as a significant challenge. Achu emphasized the need for a “more continental approach,” while Mbogo in Kenya called for stronger political commitment. “We share information as scientists with neighboring countries, but we need to involve higher levels of governance for cross-border collaborations and data-sharing,” Mbogo said.
