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CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT OFTHE 9THASIA PACIFIC LEADERS’ SUMMIT ON MALARIA ELIMINATION
BALI, INDONESIA, 16-17JUNE 2025
1. We, the Leaders, Ministers, and Representatives gathered in Bali, Indonesia, on the 17th of June 2025 for the High-Level Sessions of the 9th Asia Pacific Leaders' Summit on Malaria Elimination ("the Summit"), hosted by the Government of Indonesia in partnership with the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA). The Sessions were chaired by the Honourable Mr Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health, Indonesia.
2. Under the theme "Unity in Action, Towards Zero Malaria", we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the shared goal of eliminating malaria in the Asia Pacific region by 2030.
3. We commend the remarkable achievements of countries for maintaining zero indigenous malaria cases for several years and we look forward to the prospect of other countries in achieving its malaria-free certification. The success underscores the important impact of strong political leadership, robust health systems, sustained financial investment, and effective regional collaboration.
4. We acknowledge that from 2010 to 2021, the Asia Pacific region achieved significant progress in reducing malaria, with a 45% decline in cases and an 89% reduction in deaths. However, recent data indicates a reversal, with cases and deaths increasing by 168% and 46% respectively, from 2021 to 2023, posing serious threats to our hard-won gains and jeopardising regional health security.
5. In response to the resurgence, we recognise the need to focus immediate regional actions.
ACCELERATING MALARIA ELIMINATION IN ASIA PACIFIC: ADDRESSING HIGH ENDEMIC AREAS AND LEVERAGING THE EDEN INITIATIVE
6. We acknowledge persistent challenges in malaria elimination across the Asia Pacific, particularly in high-endemic areas impacted by climate change. We further recognize the growing malaria crisis in the Central Indo-Pacific, shaped by complex factors including shifting vector dynamics, border transmission, and systemic health system constraints.
7. We commend the progress that has been made since the Call-to-Action to establish the Ending Malaria and other Climate-Sensitive Vector Borne Diseases through Enhanced Regional Partnerships (EDEN) initiative, signed by the Ministers of Health from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu at the8th Asia Pacific Leaders’ Summit on Malaria Elimination in 2024.
8. We note that the inaugural 1st Regional Coordination Meeting of EDEN Initiative hosted by the Government of Papua New Guinea on 6 May 2025, has led to a joint resource mobilization strategy to reduce malaria transmission in high-endemic areas through targeted investment and local capacity building, while concurrently strengthening infrastructure, coordination, and sustainability.
SUSTAINING GAINS AND PREVENTING RESURGENCE IN THE LOW ENDEMIC AREAS AND COUNTRIES NEARING ELIMINATION
9. Acknowledging the unique challenges of last-mile elimination, particularly along borders and the risks of increasing zoonotic malaria transmission, we commit to implementing One Health approach and enhancing cross-border collaboration, particularly in border regions where transmission persists. We likewise commit to investing in surveillance, research and response mechanisms to tackle the growing threat of zoonotic malaria, ensuring it does not undermine elimination efforts.
10. We express concern over the recent shifts in global health financing, including anticipated changes to the Global Fund’s support post-2026 in relation to the Greater Mekong Subregion’s Regional Artemisinin Resistance Initiative (RAI). These developments pose significant risks to the continuity of critical malaria services—such as surveillance, case management, community health worker support, and access to essential medicines—and heighten the threat of malaria resurgence, drug resistance, and the erosion of public health gains.
SECURING SUSTAINABLE FINANCING FOR MALARIA ELIMINATION IN ASIA PACIFIC
11. We acknowledge that declining donor funding for malaria, coupled with rising operational costs and competing domestic health and economic priorities, has resulted in a widening financing gap. This gap presents a pressing regional challenge that demands innovative and collaborative solutions beyond incremental investment.
12. We acknowledge the shared concern among Leaders, Ministers and Representatives on the need to develop a coordinated resource mobilisation roadmap, which will support both the consolidation of progress in countries nearing elimination and the acceleration of efforts in high-endemic areas, particularly within the EDEN countries.
COMMITMENT TO ACTION
13. We commend the Government of Indonesia for its leadership and the launch of the "Indonesia’s Call to End Malaria Initiative (ICMI)" at this Summit. This initiative significantly enhances Indonesia's national efforts, demonstrating a profound commitment to regional health security and leadership in the fight against malaria in the Pacific.
14. We also commend the significant strides being made in the collaboration between the Governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to establish a formal Bi-Lateral Joint Action Plan to advance cooperation and collaboration in matters relating to malaria control and elimination in the form of cross-border collaboration on the basis of the principles of reciprocity, equality and mutual benefit for both countries.
15. Noting that changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather are increasing the risk of malaria, we emphasize the potential alignment of the EDEN initiative, other sub-region initiatives, and countries in the region with the “Ending Climate-Vulnerable Infectious and Tropical Diseases (ExCITD)” fund initiative from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which aims to mobilize at least $2 billion in financing, including at least $200 million in grant resources through the ExCITD trust fund. We also welcome the EDEN countries for jointly expressing interest in working with the ADB and other potential co-financing partners, in further exploring the ExCITD and other financing support for the EDEN initiative.
16. We aim to collaboratively working on comprehensive financing solutions for the broader Asia Pacific region. This includes concerted efforts to increase domestic and international investments aligned with national and regional malaria elimination priorities. Furthermore, we recognise the importance of strengthening national capacities for domestic resource mobilization and call upon our local partners and community to support countries in developing and accessing newer forms of financing.
17. We also call on the global community, development partners, and the private sector to support our region’s efforts and strengthen our national capacities for domestic resource mobilization and explore new financing options.
THE WAY FORWARD
18. We task the APLMA, in close collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other key dialogue and development partners, to coordinate the necessary follow-up actions, monitor progress against the commitments made herein, and report back to us at the subsequent 10th Leaders’ Summit.
19. The adoption of this Chairman’s Statement demonstrates our renewed and intensified commitment to working collaboratively to eliminate malaria from our region. We leave Bali with a strengthened resolve to intensify our efforts towards achieving our shared 2030 goal of ending malaria for good.
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