CONGRATULATIONS YOUR MAJESTY

Sir,

Kindly allow me space to congratulate His Majesty King Mswati III on his most glorious achievement as Chairperson of ALMA, The African Leaders Malaria Alliance. This is a groundbreaking coalition of African heads of State and governments which was founded in 2009 to work across country and regional borders to achieve a malaria free Africa by 2020.

The nation will recall that in 2007, His Majesty was nominated as the next chair of the Alliance. The announcement came at the ALMA Heads of State and Government meeting during the 28th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  This was the same meeting where the coalition hosted the ALMA Awards for Excellence. Eswatini was one of seven countries recognised for significant achievements in malaria control and elimination over the past five years.

Plans

The King immediately laid out his plans and stated that in his role as the ALMA chair, he would work with other African heads of State and governments to achieve a malaria free Africa. Such a bold statement set the tone for what was to become the most vibrant chairmanship in the history of the Alliance.

His Majesty’s collaborative strategy proved itself to be an effective model for sustainable change, as he deepened relationships with the private sector, new stakeholders and other partners in making a passionate plea to the world, to join hands in the battle against the deadly assault from the disease, which has killed millions of Africans.

Legacy

His Majesty’s towering legacy in the fight against malaria is a powerful model for the continent. According to the World Health Organisation, Eswatini is one of three Southern Africa countries on track to eliminate malaria by 2020. The country has made significant progress in scaling-up malaria control interventions which has led to a significant reduction of the malaria burden.

The kingdom was the first country in Africa to introduce a malaria elimination scorecard to enhance tracking, accountability and action towards malaria elimination. The World Health Organisation estimates that the kingdom decreased malaria incidences and malaria mortality by more than 40 per cent between 2010 and 2015. Malaria cases were reduced significantly, with only five deaths in 2015. The kingdom has also implemented a comprehensive surveillance strategy as part of its national control programme.

Pride

I felt a profoundly deep sense of pride when news emerged that the King was set to launch the Eswatini End Malaria Fund. The fund has three  main objectives; to eliminate domestic transmission  of malaria in the kingdom by 2022; to sustain domestic transmission thereafter through surveillance, testing and case management, and to support malaria elimination at the sub-regional and regional levels. His Majesty has already asked the nation to contribute towards the success of the fund. I appeal to emaSwati to take up this challenge as it is a giant leap towards a malaria free society.
Finally, I pray to the God of Heaven to bestow more wisdom upon His Majesty so that he will continually rise to the mantle of his God-given calling.

Sandile Makhanya

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