PMA presses for decisive action to end malaria burden

Association urges real-time surveillance systems and expanded preventive measures amid persistent malaria cases nationwide

IV Report

KARACHI: Marking World Malaria Day 2026, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called for urgent, decisive action to eliminate malaria, warning that the disease continues to impose a heavy burden despite the availability of new tools and treatments.

In a statement issued on April 25 aligned with this year’s global theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must,” PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said that while scientific advances such as vaccines and next-generation mosquito nets have created unprecedented opportunities, their impact hinges on political will and timely implementation.

The association also stressed the need to strengthen surveillance, urging authorities to implement a robust, data-driven reporting system to monitor and contain outbreaks in real time, alongside ensuring the availability of vaccines, diagnostics and effective treatment at primary healthcare facilities.

Citing data from the World Health Organisation, the PMA noted that Pakistan remains a high-burden country, accounting for nearly 28 per cent of malaria cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The country reported an estimated 2.6 to 3.1 million cases in 2025, with between 1,200 and 1,500 deaths, mostly among children under five and pregnant women.

Provincial data, cited by the PMA, paints a similarly concerning picture. According to Sindh’s vector-borne diseases programme, more than 707,000 tests conducted between January 1 and April 23 this year detected over 26,000 malaria cases. The association also noted gaps in surveillance and response, alongside the persistence of dengue infections in the province.

Pakistan malaria status 
Malaria, transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, remains life-threatening if untreated, with symptoms including fever, chills and headache, and the potential to progress to severe complications.

The PMA urged authorities to ensure the availability of vaccines, diagnostic kits and effective treatment at primary healthcare facilities, expand preventive measures such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying ahead of the monsoon, and strengthen public awareness and real-time disease surveillance.

“We are at a crossroads in 2026,” Dr Shoro said, stressing that preventable deaths must not continue in the presence of effective tools.

Photo courtesy: SRSO
Chart sources: WHO and Pak govt
With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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