Open Access | Essay: Assessing Strategy and Equity in the Elimination of Malaria

After the 2007 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation meeting at which malaria eradication was declared back on the table [1], the charity was joined in its call by the World Health Organization (WHO) director general, the United States National Institutes of Health, and the Clinton Foundation, among others. A Gates-funded Malaria Elimination Group (MEG) has been convened [2], health ministers have delivered rousing speeches advocating elimination efforts, and scientists and policymakers have published eradication agendas and ideas. The impact of sustained advocacy is evident in the Global Malaria Action Plan that was commissioned by Roll Back Malaria and written by the Boston Consulting Group. The plan outlines a US$110.5 billion strategy for malaria control, including elimination and long-term eradication.