PAHO malaria plan puts Guyana’s elimination drive under spotlight

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana’s efforts to eliminate malaria will require more targeted interventions in mining communities, Indigenous settlements and remote hinterland regions, as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) moves to accelerate the elimination of the disease across the Americas by 2030.

The renewed regional push comes against the backdrop of persistent malaria transmission in the Amazon Basin, where geographical isolation, population mobility and difficulties accessing healthcare continue to undermine efforts to contain the disease.

In its newly unveiled Action Plan for Malaria Elimination in the Americas 2026–2030, PAHO is calling on countries to strengthen disease surveillance, expand access to rapid diagnostic testing and treatment, and introduce more targeted interventions in communities where transmission persists. The plan sets an ambitious target of reducing malaria incidence across the Americas by 50 per cent by 2030, compared with 2024 levels, while seeking a 70 per cent reduction in cases caused by Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites responsible for the disease.