Malaria cases in Indian schools often go undetected

World Malaria Day is a reminder that in public health, having the right tools is only half the battle. Over the years, across multiple districts, one consistent reality stands out—we largely have the tools needed to prevent and treat malaria: diagnostics, effective treatment, and vector control measures. Yet, the real challenge lies in operationalising these interventions effectively at scale. Gaps in last-mile delivery, inconsistent usage of preventive measures like bed nets, delayed diagnosis, and limited community engagement continue to affect outcomes. What makes the difference is not just availability, but: • Consistent use at the household level • Strong frontline worker engagement • Continuous community-level behaviour change As we move forward, the focus must remain on strengthening implementation systems and sustaining community trust, especially in high-burden and hard-to-reach areas. Because ultimately, impact in public health is determined not by what we know, but by what we consistently deliver on the ground. #WorldMalariaDay #PublicHealth #Malaria #HealthSystems #CommunityHealth #LastMile#VHA

Malaria shows us what Universal Health Coverage really means. Where access to care is limited, cases are detected late, treatment is delayed, and transmission continues. Where systems function well, the opposite happens. • early testing • timely treatment • reduced transmission That is UHC in practice. Health is not just a service — it is the foundation of human capital. When people are healthy, they can learn, work, and contribute. From an epidemiological perspective, UHC shifts systems from late-stage response to early detection and prevention. And in diseases like malaria, timing is everything. The difference between access and no access is often the difference between containment and continued spread. UHC is not just coverage. It is system performance. #HealthySense

A major breakthrough in global health 👶 The World Health Organization has approved the first-ever malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns—a long-overdue step in protecting the most vulnerable lives. Until now, infants were often treated with medicines formulated for older children, increasing the risk of incorrect dosing and side effects. This new development changes that by offering a safer, tailored solution for babies in malaria-affected regions. With millions of newborns exposed to malaria risk each year, this milestone has the potential to save countless lives and strengthen the fight against one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Progress like this reminds us: innovation in healthcare isn’t just about new technology—it’s about reaching those who need it most. #GlobalHealth #Malaria #HealthcareInnovation #WHO #PublicHealth #ChildHealth World Health Organization Government of India

A couple of days ago, I wrapped up a 5-day malaria awareness campaign among young adults in Akure. But the real work didn’t end there. I’m currently collecting endline responses to understand one thing: Did anything actually change? Because in public health, awareness is only the starting point. From the baseline data: 🛏️ 87% knew bed nets work but only 37% used them consistently 💊 Over half treated symptoms without testing first 🙋🏽 Many understood malaria is serious but not for them So the campaign focused on one idea: “Closing the gap between knowing and doing” Now comes the part I find most important, evaluation. - Did people start sleeping under nets more consistently? - Are more people choosing to test before treatment? - Has risk perception shifted, even slightly? I don’t have all the answers yet. But this process is teaching me something important: Public health isn’t just about delivering messages. It’s about measuring whether those messages lead to action. I’ll be sharing the full findings once the data is cleaned and analyzed. For now, I’m curious: What small health behavior have you changed recently and what triggered it? #PublicHealth #MalariaPrevention #HealthPromotion #BehaviorChange #MandE #CommunityHealth #Nigeria #LearningInPublic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prequalified the first-ever malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and young infants, marking a major breakthrough in child health. The medicine, an adapted form of artemether-lumefantrine, is made for babies weighing 2 to 5 kilograms, a group that previously had no treatment tailored to their safety and dosing needs. WHO says the approval confirms the drug meets global standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness, allowing it to be used in malaria-endemic countries, especially across Africa where the disease burden is highest. Experts say this could help protect millions of vulnerable newborns and reduce malaria-related deaths in early infancy.

#WorldMalariaDay (25 April), WHO has prequalified the first malaria treatment designed specifically for newborns and young infants (weighing 2–5 kg). This is a major step towards closing a critical treatment gap for the most vulnerable. Read more: bit.ly/4sV3lAT Together for Health. #StandWithScience

🌍 World Malaria Day Malaria remains a serious public health challenge across many parts of the world, including our region. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are critical to saving lives. Medical technology plays a vital role, from rapid diagnostic tests that enable quick detection to advanced treatment solutions that support effective care and recovery. These innovations are essential in strengthening health systems and improving patient outcomes. As we mark World Malaria Day, we recognise the importance of continued investment in MedTech to support prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, bringing us closer to a malaria-free future. #WorldMalariaDay #MedTech #HealthcareInnovation #GlobalHealth #SAMED

THE CHILD WHO KEPT COMING BACK A child is admitted with pneumonia. Treated. Discharged. Two months later, back again. Then diarrhea. Then skin infections. Then poor growth. Different symptoms. Same hospital. Same family searching for answers. Sometimes the problem is not just infection. Sometimes the immune system itself is failing. Across Africa, many patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) remain unseen behind repeated illness. PIDs are often classified as rare diseases. Many conditions are labeled “rare.” But what if they are simply underdiagnosed? What if thousands of African children are living with immune disorders never tested for? What if repeated infections are being normalized? What if the absence of data is mistaken for the absence of disease? Sometimes we call things rare because we have not built systems to find them. That must change. We need African data. African pathways. African referral systems. African solutions. To the pediatrician who asks one more question. To the lab technologist who flags an unusual result. To the nurse who notices repeated admissions. To the specialist who suspects something deeper. Thank you. Many diagnoses begin because someone noticed a pattern others missed. That is how lives are changed. As we come to the end of World Primary Immunodeficiencies Week, awareness may be the first life-saving intervention. With the right investment, Africa can accelerate PIDs diagnosis. The future of healthcare in Africa is not only about treating common diseases. It is also about recognizing the patients who are missed, delayed, or misunderstood. What changes are needed to improve rare disease diagnosis in Africa? #PrimaryImmunodeficiency #WorldPIWeek2026 #WeCantWait #HealthcareInnovation #AfricaHealth #RareDiseases

On this day in 1857, Sir Ronald Ross was born. His work on malaria transmission helped shape modern public health and later earned him the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The lesson remains relevant today: healthcare cannot only be reactive. It must also be preventive. Strong health systems are built not only in hospitals, but also in homes, schools, communities, water points, data systems, supply chains, and public education. A mosquito net may look simple. So may clean surroundings, timely diagnosis, community health education, and access to basic treatment. But these are often the difference between preventable suffering and protected dignity. For me, this is one of the clearest leadership lessons in healthcare: Prevention is not a small part of care. Prevention is care. When systems work early, families suffer less. #publichealth #malaria #healthcare #prevention Ministry of Health, Kenya Malaria Consortium Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Global Fund

𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 A historic leap for global child health World Health Organization has pre qualified the first-ever malaria treatment designed specifically for newborns and infants—closing a long-standing treatment gap for the world’s youngest and most vulnerable patients. A breakthrough that could save countless lives from day one. Read the full news here: https://lnkd.in/gNgcbY9K #WHO #Malaria #GlobalHealth #ChildHealth #HealthcareInnovation