AKIPRESS.COM - Reductions in malaria cases have stalled after several years of decline globally, according to the new World malaria report 2018.

In 2018, WHO certified Paraguay as malaria free, the first country in the Americas to receive this status in 45 years.

Three other countries – Algeria, Argentina and Uzbekistan – have requested official malaria-free certification from WHO.

As reductions in malaria cases and deaths slow, funding for the global response has also shown a levelling off, with US$ 3.1 billion made available for control and elimination programs in 2017 including US$ 900 million (28%) from governments of malaria endemic countries. The United States of America remains the largest single international donor, contributing US$ 1.2 billion (39%) in 2017, according to the WHO.

To meet the 2030 targets of the global malaria strategy, malaria investments should reach at least US$6.6 billion annually by 2020 – more than double the amount available today.