DAKAR, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Senegal has made significant progress in the fight against malaria, with 90 percent of its health districts now in the pre-elimination phase, a senior health official said Thursday.
"Out of the country's 79 health districts, 90 percent are in pre-elimination, meaning that they record fewer than five malaria cases per 1,000 inhabitants per year," Director General of Health Youssouph Tine said at the opening of a national strategic roundtable on malaria elimination in Dakar.
While most districts have entered the pre-elimination phase, malaria transmission remains concentrated in some high-burden areas.
Aliou Thiongane, coordinator of the National Malaria Control Program, said the national malaria incidence fell from about 23 cases per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024 to 12 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2025, while mortality also declined from 314 deaths in 2024 to about 150 in 2025.
The malaria control program requires 146.6 billion CFA francs (about 260 million U.S. dollars), and Senegal expects to mobilize about 20 percent of the funding from the private sector and other partners, he said.
Tine stressed that malaria elimination is not only a health issue but also an economic and social priority. "Investing in its elimination means investing in human capital and in the competitiveness of our companies," he said.
Participants at the meeting called for stronger domestic financing and greater private-sector involvement to help Senegal achieve malaria elimination by 2030.
