As we mark World Malaria Day 2025, CESMEL Health joins the global community in reflecting on the progress and the road ahead in the fight to eliminate malaria. This year’s theme, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” is a timely call to action.
But for these words to become a reality, we must recognize a fundamental truth: malaria will not end without data.
Data is the backbone of malaria control and elimination efforts. It tells us where malaria risk is higher, how interventions perform, and which communities remain vulnerable.
From routine data to large-scale household surveys, data provides the evidence needed to guide policies, allocate resources, and evaluate impact.
Yet today, that foundation is under threat. The recent US foreign aid cuts have significantly disrupted malaria data systems across Sub-Saharan Africa—both routine data platforms and nationally representative surveys.
Many countries are now facing the risk of operating without reliable or timely data, which may undermine their ability to monitor disease trends, respond to outbreaks, and plan effective interventions.
Reinvesting in malaria means reinvesting in the systems that generate, analyze, and use data. These systems must be:
- Integrated rather than siloed
- Timely rather than delayed
- Timely rather than delayed Informative at the point of care, rather than simply reporting upwards
- Locally owned rather than external-dependent
- Resilient rather than vulnerable to short-term funding shifts
To truly reimagine malaria elimination, we must also reimagine our approach to data not as a peripheral function, but as a strategic driver of health system performance.
It is now only five years from 2030, the target year for achieving the global malaria goals in the WHO Global Technical Strategy (GTS).
With progress stalling in many high-burden countries, there is no time to waste. Strong data systems are not optional but essential for course correction and acceleration.
We call on governments, funding and technical partners, and the global health community to prioritize sustainable investments in malaria data systems. Without them, progress will be difficult to sustain and impossible to measure.
As we reignite the global commitment to end malaria, let us ensure no country is left in the dark.
Malaria ends with us, and that means ending data blindness first.
CESMEL Health Leadership
Professor Osman Sankoh, Chair
A renowned Sierra Leonean biostatistician and epidemiologist, Prof. Sankoh currently serves as the Executive Director of the Centre for Health Research and Training (CHaRT-SL) and is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Management and Technology in Freetown.
His academic affiliations extend to him as an adjunct professor at the School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, and visiting scholar status at the University of Heidelberg Medical School in Germany.
He has held key leadership positions including Statistician-General and CEO of Statistics Sierra Leone, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Njala University, and Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network in Ghana. He has also served as Vice-Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
As a prolific researcher, Professor Sankoh has authored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers in leading journals, including The Lancet, International Journal of Epidemiology, and Nature and he has successfully secured major grants from prominent funding agencies such as the Gates Foundation, Sida, IDRC, Wellcome Trust, and the Hewlett Foundation.
Professor Osman Sankoh, Chair
A renowned Sierra Leonean biostatistician and epidemiologist, Prof. Sankoh currently serves as the Executive Director of the Centre for Health Research and Training (CHaRT-SL) and is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Management and Technology in Freetown.
His academic affiliations extend to him as an adjunct professor at the School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, and visiting scholar status at the University of Heidelberg Medical School in Germany.
He has held key leadership positions including Statistician-General and CEO of Statistics Sierra Leone, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Njala University, and Executive Director of the INDEPTH Network in Ghana.
He has also served as Vice-Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
As a prolific researcher, Professor Sankoh has authored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers in leading journals, including The Lancet, International Journal of Epidemiology, and Nature and he has successfully secured major grants from prominent funding agencies such as the Gates Foundation, Sida, IDRC, Wellcome Trust, and the Hewlett Foundation.
Dr. Erin Eckert, Deputy Chair
A distinguished infectious disease epidemiologist focusing on malaria control and elimination, surveillance systems, program evaluation, and pandemic preparedness.
Dr. Eckert has dedicated her career to improving access to healthcare, specifically focusing on metrics for tracking malaria interventions.
Her experience includes working with governments, international organizations, and NGOs on policy development, program design, and implementation.
Dr. Eckert previously served as a Senior Technical Advisor for the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative and led the Infectious Diseases Portfolio at RTI International.
Joining Prof. Sankoh and Dr. Eckert on the CESMEL Health Board are:
- Dr. Apollinaire Tiam, Vice-President, Technical Strategies and Innovation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, APHRC
- Dr. Mercy Guech-Ongey, Public Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and Senior Scientific Advisor
CESMEL Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing health outcomes across Africa through data-driven solutions, is proud to introduce its esteemed Board of Directors. This distinguished group brings a wealth of experience and expertise in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and program implementation, further solidifying CESMEL Health’s commitment to transforming healthcare delivery and improving population health in the region.
With its diverse and experienced Board of Directors, CESMEL Health is well-positioned to achieve its vision of becoming a leading resource for thought leadership, methodological innovations, and capacity strengthening in SMEL. Through data-driven solutions and evidence-based decision making, CESMEL Health will continue to transform health service delivery and improve health outcomes across Africa.
For more information about CESMEL Health and its mission, please contact us at info@cesmelhealth.org.