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Nov 11, 2026 News
…gold-mining communities, Indigenous populations among areas requiring stronger surveillance and access to treatment
(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.
查看配图：PAHO malaria plan puts Guyana’s elimination drive under spotlight
PAHO reported approximately 458,000 malaria cases across the Americas in 2025, with 86 per cent occurring in South America, particularly in the Amazon Basin and along Colombia’s Pacific coast.
Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela accounted for 74 per cent of the region’s reported cases. Although the regional figures do not establish Guyana’s individual malaria burden, the organisation’s emphasis on mining populations, Indigenous communities and hard-to-reach territories has particular relevance to Guyana, where these populations and geographical conditions are central to the malaria challenge.
Guyana has previously acknowledged the strong connection between malaria transmission and gold-mining activities, particularly in the interior, where workers frequently move between mining camps and settlements, sometimes operating far from established health facilities. Figures released by the Ministry of Health in January 2025 showed that Guyana recorded 27,169 malaria cases in 2024. The highest numbers were reported in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony had explained that the Government was training miners to use rapid diagnostic kits and providing treatment supplies so that suspected cases could be identified and treated within mining camps, rather than requiring workers to travel long distances to health facilities.
The World Health Organization’s 2024 Guyana malaria country profile also highlighted the scale of the problem. It documented 28,776 presumed and confirmed cases, including 28,533 confirmed indigenous cases, and indicated that approximately 90,200 people were living in high-transmission areas.
The Ministry of Health has reported a 53 per cent reduction in malaria cases in Region Nine between 2023 and 2024, compared with a 16 per cent national decline over the same period. The region has also been strengthening its frontline capacity, with 31 individuals from different sub-districts completing a six-week microscopist training programme aimed at improving the detection and monitoring of malaria.
Health authorities have identified areas such as Marudi Mining Mountain and Aishalton as locations requiring particular attention. Malaria testing kits have also been deployed to enable people in remote and mining communities to conduct initial testing and access follow-up treatment through health workers. The Ministry has described Region Nine as a potential first region in Guyana to eliminate the disease.
In August 2026, Guyana joined Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname at a PAHO-supported meeting in Paramaribo, where health authorities examined strategies to tackle malaria transmission across the Guiana Shield. The discussions focused on mining communities, Indigenous populations, cross-border surveillance, improved access to diagnosis and treatment, and the movement of people between territories.
Suriname’s achievement in becoming the first country in the Amazon Basin to receive malaria-free certification in 2025 was highlighted as evidence that elimination is achievable, even in territories with difficult geographical conditions. PAHO’s latest plan now seeks to build on those regional experiences by strengthening community-based diagnosis and treatment networks, expanding rapid diagnostic testing, improving surveillance and introducing new interventions to prevent the recurrence of infections. The organisation is also urging governments to maintain or increase domestic financing, warning that without sustained investment, efforts to reach remote communities and interrupt transmission could falter. Across the Americas, malaria deaths fell from 169 in 2015 to 115 in 2025, representing a reduction of nearly 20 per cent. Five countries Argentina, Paraguay, El Salvador, Belize and Suriname have received malaria-free certification since 2018.
Meanwhile, the PAHO plan proposes strengthening and transforming the response over the next four years by bringing diagnosis and treatment closer to communities where transmission persists and incorporating new tools and approaches to interrupt transmission.
The document responds to the stagnation of malaria cases at around half a million per year and the persistent barriers to timely access to diagnosis and treatment, particularly in Indigenous communities, mining areas, and hard-to-reach locations. Without a faster, more targeted response, transmission could persist and opportunities to advance towards elimination could be lost.
The Action Plan for Malaria Elimination in the Americas 2026–2030 sets a target of reducing malaria incidence by 50% by 2030 compared with 2024, when approximately 537,000 cases were reported. It also aims to reduce the incidence of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites responsible for malaria in the Region, by 70%, and to advance the elimination of the disease in countries and subnational territories.
At the heart of the new approach is bringing diagnosis and treatment closer to people. The Plan proposes expanding the use of rapid diagnostic tests and strengthening community-based networks for diagnosis and treatment, under the supervision of health teams, as well as leveraging digital tools to facilitate care and response efforts. It also promotes reactive interventions and chemoprevention, along with new tools to achieve radical cure of P. vivax malaria and reduce relapses. These measures will help better target interventions, respond more quickly to new cases, and focus efforts on the communities and territories where they can have the greatest impact.
“The Americas have shown that eliminating malaria is possible. The challenge now is to accelerate progress and ensure we reach the communities where transmission persists and where barriers to accessing health services are greatest. Bringing diagnosis and treatment closer to people, together with the necessary political commitment and resources, will be key to moving towards zero malaria,” said Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, Director of PAHO’s Department of Communicable Disease Prevention, Control and Elimination.
Although several countries have made significant progress, regional gains have been uneven. Between 2015 and 2025, cases decreased by 4.6%, from 480,000 to approximately 458,000. In 2025, 86% of cases were reported in South America, mainly in the Amazon Basin and along Colombia’s Pacific coast. Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela together accounted for 74% of all cases in the Region.
Malaria also reflects significant inequalities in access to health care, PAHO said. Many of the most affected communities are located in remote and hard-to-reach areas, where distances, transportation costs, and other barriers make timely diagnosis and treatment difficult. Transmission is also highly concentrated: 22 municipalities in six countries reported more than 4,000 cases in 2025, accounting for 43% of all malaria cases in the Americas. Just eight municipalities accounted for 25%. This concentration provides an opportunity to target resources and interventions in the areas where they can contribute most directly to interrupting transmission.
These challenges are compounded by the need to ensure sufficient and sustainable resources to advance malaria elimination, PAHO said. The Plan urges countries to increase or, at a minimum, maintain domestic financing and seek mechanisms to sustain interventions over the long term. Without sustained financial commitment, it will be difficult to expand prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts and reach communities where transmission persists.
Despite these challenges, the Americas have demonstrated that elimination is possible. Since 2018, five countries have been certified as malaria-free: Argentina, Paraguay, El Salvador, Belize, and Suriname. In 2025, Suriname also became the first country in the Amazon Basin to eliminate the disease. Malaria deaths have also decreased by nearly 20%, from 169 in 2015 to 115 in 2025.
From control to elimination
The Plan also proposes using surveillance as an intervention for elimination, ensuring that detected cases are investigated and followed by a rapid response to prevent new infections. It also calls for optimising vector control, adapting interventions to the conditions in each territory, and progressively establishing malaria-free subnational areas.
“Many of the people most affected by malaria live far from health services. If we want to interrupt transmission, anyone experiencing symptoms must be able to get tested quickly and, if they have malaria, start treatment without delay. The shift is towards making diagnosis and treatment available where people and affected communities live,” said Roberto Montoya, PAHO Regional Malaria Advisor.
The launch of the Plan coincides with the Regional Meeting on Malaria Elimination in the Americas, taking place in Brasilia from 4th-6th November. The meeting brings together health authorities, national malaria program managers from endemic countries, experts, and partners. Over the three days, participants are discussing the challenges and opportunities for accelerating elimination, exchanging experiences and operational solutions to expand access to diagnosis and treatment, and exploring innovations and new opportunities for cooperation among countries.
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