Photo Credit: WHO/Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) Programme

The WHO Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) programme is an initiative that supports malaria elimination strategies across the six countries of the Greater Mekong subregion (GMS), of which the countries in Western Pacific Region include Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Viet Nam and Yunnan Province in China. Located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, it was established in 2017 as a reaction to the Emergency response to artemisinin resistance in the Greater Mekong subregion, a high-level plan launched in 2013 to contain the spread of antimalarial drug–resistant parasites and provide life-saving interventions for all populations at risk of malaria in the subregion.

The MME programme works in close collaboration with the WHO country offices, WHO regional offices in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, the WHO Global Malaria Programme, national malaria programmes and partners to:

1. Promote dialogue, partnerships and coordination:

• Advocate on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
• Facilitate preparation towards malaria-free certification by countries.
• Organize regional thematic conferences related to therapeutic efficacy studies, malaria surveillance, WHO malaria guidance and operational research.

2. Optimize regional and country surveillance:

• Monitor drug efficacy and strengthen malaria surveillance systems.
• Provide technical support to enhance existing malaria information systems.
• Coordinate and publish epidemiological data on malaria elimination across the six countries through the Malaria Elimination Database.

3. Facilitate targeted advocacy and communications on the ongoing efforts to eliminate malaria in the GMS.

• Publish stories, reports and partner updates to highlight progress, share lessons learned and maintain commitment to malaria elimination targets in the GMS countries.

4. Provide technical support on accelerating strategies towards malaria elimination:

• Define strategies, and plan and support the implementation of intensification plans and focalized innovative approaches.
• Deploy decentralized technical assistance in the GMS to facilitate the implementation of country-specific malaria interventions.

The Malaria Elimination Database is a cornerstone of the MME programme. The regional platform collects monthly malaria data at district and lower levels. It allows GMS countries to strengthen surveillance, enhance monitoring and evaluation, analyse malaria distribution and trends, and share data through monthly/quarterly epidemiological summaries and annual bulletins.

Photo Credit: WHO/Mekong Malaria Elimination (MME) Programme