Malaria, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases, remains a significant global public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. While the United States eliminated malaria in the 1950s, the fight against this disease continues abroad, where it claims hundreds of thousands of lives annually. The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the U.S. government’s largest program combating malaria, has been instrumental in driving progress toward a malaria-free world.

With a bold bipartisan-backed strategy for 2021–2026, the PMI aims to dramatically reduce malaria cases and deaths in the countries accounting for 80% of the global malaria burden. A critical component of this strategy is the PMI’s commitment to empowering local organizations and governments in malaria-burdened countries. In 2023 alone, the PMI directly invested $24 million into local initiatives, marking a significant step toward sustainable, community-driven solutions.

From Global Strategy to Local Action

The PMI’s pivot toward local investments reflects a growing recognition within international development circles: that empowering local leaders is key to long-term success. By making more localized efforts, the Initiative aligns with USAID’s broader vision of allocating at least 25% of its funding to local organizations. Additionally, by channeling resources directly to communities, the PMI fosters the leadership and ownership needed for sustainable health outcomes, equipping its partner countries to lead the charge against malaria.

Tangible Gains in Health, Education, and the Economy

The PMI’s interventions—such as distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, deploying rapid diagnostic tests, and ensuring access to effective treatments—reach over 700 million people annually. These efforts have saved millions of lives since PMI’s inception in 2006, particularly the lives of pregnant women and young children.

Beyond health, the PMI’s work has ripple effects on education and economic development. Healthy children can attend school, and malaria-free communities see increases in productivity and income. In many partner countries, the gains extend to preserving fragile ecosystems, as fewer malaria cases reduce the need for environmentally damaging mosquito control measures such as pesticides.

Investing in Local Leadership: The Road Ahead

As the PMI broadens its focus to include robust investments in local infrastructure, the potential for transformative impact deepens. By equipping partner nations with the tools and infrastructure needed to independently detect and respond to future malaria outbreaks, countries with historically low health security can achieve greater self-reliance, fostering economic development and promoting stability. These localized efforts transcend the immediate fight against malaria, laying a foundation for more resilient health systems and fortified communities. This kind of aid and cooperation strengthens partnerships between the United States and its global allies, forging relationships that are essential for global security and stability. Recognizing the critical role of these investments, the U.S. has highlighted the PMI as a cornerstone program of its 2024 Global Health Security Strategy.

Looking forward, continued bipartisan U.S. support for local empowerment in malaria-endemic regions will be crucial. With this support, the PMI can continue to prove that the fight against malaria is not only achievable but also a pathway to broader health and economic security—for our partner countries and the world.