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Today, on World Malaria Day, the Geneva Learning Foundation is proud to stand with health workers on the frontlines of the fight against this deadly disease.
Malaria remains a critical global health challenge, disproportionately affecting communities in Africa and Asia.
That’s why we’re putting malaria at the heart of the agenda for Teach to Reach 10, our landmark event connecting tens of thousands of health workers worldwide to share their experiences, successes, and challenges.
Teach to Reach is a unique platform that enables health workers to learn from each other, contribute to global knowledge, and drive local action on pressing health issues.
At Teach to Reach 10 this June, we will be focusing on the urgent threat of climate change to health, with a special emphasis on how changing environmental conditions are altering the landscape of malaria risk and response.
Read Gavi’s article about our work: Global problems, local solutions: the health workers helping communities brace for climate change
Health worker leadership is critical to an integrated view of malaria response by and for local communities
As our recent report “On the frontline of climate change and health: A health worker eyewitness report” highlighted, health workers are already witnessing firsthand how climate shifts are affecting disease patterns and burdening health systems.
Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changing rainfall patterns are creating ideal conditions for malaria-carrying mosquitoes to thrive, putting communities at greater risk.
Health workers like Yapoulouce Bamba from Guinea have observed this worrying trend: “The degradation of the environment has created more breeding grounds for mosquitoes. During the rainy season, there is a noticeable exponential increase in mosquito populations, which in turn raises the number of malaria cases.”
From global governance to local action: how Teach to Reach can contribute to turning the Yaoundé Declaration into local action
At Teach to Reach 10, we’ll be discussing how to turn the commitment of African leaders in the Yaoundé Declaration into locally-led action to accelerate action against malaria.
By bringing together health workers to share local solutions and build resilience, we are supporting the Declaration’s call for investment in research and innovation, cross-border collaboration, and engagement of communities as partners in the malaria fight.
Teach to Reach embodies the Declaration’s vision of supporting those at the forefront of the malaria fight with the knowledge, tools, and solidarity they need to drive transformative impact in their communities.
We need new ways to learn and lead
On this World Malaria Day, we invite all those committed to ending malaria to join us in listening to and learning from frontline health workers.
Their voices, experiences, and leadership are key to driving the local action and global collaboration needed to overcome this persistent threat in a changing climate.
New ways to learn and lead are vital so that we can build a healthier, malaria-free future for all.
Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2024