Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA), The Alliance and its secretariat were created at the 2013 Brunei East Asia Summit following a Declaration on Regional Responses to Malaria Control and Addressing Resistance to Antimalarial medication meeting of the EAS in 2012. The APLMA Secretariat formally commenced operations in January 2014.
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The wider Asia Pacific region may be on the cusp of a significant decline in external health-related financing, which would not only impact on gains made against malaria, but significantly reduce the region’s ability to manage other health security threats.
The need to engage and support leaders and finance ministers led to the creation of APLMA using the EAS process to galvanize heads of government. APLMA also presents an important platform from which to use malaria as an entry point for broader strategic dialogue on health systems and security.
It is not an organization, a program or a funding body, and does not involve formal country or organizational membership. Participation from other nations is welcome with, for example, the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu having expressed support.
History
APLMA was established by the East Asia Summit (EAS) during its 2013 meeting in Brunei in response to Leaders’ concerns about the rising risks of malaria resurgence, in particular due to increasing drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region.
By virtue of its Heads of Government status, APLMA has a policy-making capacity and can establish priorities for action. It works with and through national and international authorities. Firstly, to ensure leaders are informed of the latest scientific evidence, and secondly to assist in translating the collective will of the region’s leaders into coordinated action by relevant authorities.