• Aggressive campaigns to scale up malaria control have led to large reductions in the malaria burden in
many African countries
• These gains are impressive, but are fragile: if malaria control activities are reduced while the potential for
transmission remains, the disease will rapidly resurge and the gains will be wiped out
• In four countries alone—Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zanzibar—sustained control could avert about
151 million malaria cases over the next five years, similar in impact to childhood vaccination campaigns
• Sustained control could avert costs to the public health system and household of treating resurgent
malaria and could prevent school and worker absenteeism
• Sustained control is a “best buy” in global health, costing only about $5–8 per case averted, similar in cost
effectiveness to childhood vaccination