Committed to eliminating malaria: Now we can, now we must

Across Africa, World Malaria Day 2026 reaffirmed a truth that is all too often overlooked: women are at the heart of the response, but are still not sufficiently involved in decision-making.

Through the Voix EssentiELLES movement—a network of grassroots community organizations led by committed women leaders—a common demand has now emerged: to move beyond simply recognizing women’s role in malaria management to ensuring their inclusion in health governance and their participation in decisions that affect them. 

For it is they who, on a daily basis, are the primary providers of home-based care, the first to detect symptoms, and the first to promote the use of mosquito nets and preventive behaviors. Yet they are still too often absent from the forums where policies and strategies are decided, particularly regarding essential tools such as insecticide-treated nets or community-based approaches.

A continental movement led by Voix EssentiELLES

The Voix EssentiELLES movement, supported by Speak Up Africa and its partners, is part of a transformative women’s leadership initiative focused on health systems, placing women at the center of solutions.

With support from the World Health Organization and national malaria control programs in various countries, the activities carried out in 2026 demonstrated one key point: malaria elimination will only be possible with strong, inclusive, and women-led community leadership.

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo: An Exemplary Mobilization of Women

In the DRC, the official celebration of World Malaria Day 2026 featured strong involvement from the Essential Voices | Women’s Leadership Against Malaria in the DRC project, alongside SANRU and PATH.

The celebration of the day made it possible to: 

• To strengthen dialogue on malaria-related challenges with decision-makers such as provincial health authorities, communities, and other sectors through a roundtable discussion 
• To mobilize communities through coordinated advocacy with policymakers
• Praise for the innovative Voix EssentiELLES booth, commended by health authorities
• Advocacy efforts led by CSOs, particularly regarding the integration of gender perspectives into national policies
• To strengthen media production by training female journalists on gender-sensitive content 

Another highlight was the advocacy roundtable with provincial health authorities, where the women emphatically stated: “We are at the heart of the fight; we must be at the heart of the decisions.”

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast: Strategic Advocacy for Improved Malaria Prevention Measures and Transformative Gender Policies 

JMP 2026 was marked by a strong advocacy effort led by organizations in Anyama-Adjamé in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program.

The activities highlighted:

• Mass awareness campaigns on mosquito nets and prevention
• The handover of medical supplies by the authorities
• The involvement of women, young people, and organizations in parades and events
• Incorporating a gender strategy into the PSNEP 2026–2030

Women's organizations also sent a strong message: without women's decision-making autonomy, the fight against malaria remains incomplete.

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso: A Multisectoral Approach to Malaria Control

Les Voix EssentiELLES have helped foster an innovative movement that combines culture, media, and community engagement.

Notable initiatives include:

• Engagement of Women in Culture and the Arts in Bobo-Dioulasso with SP/Palu
• Workshops with female journalists and content creators in Ouagadougou
• Training female community leaders to serve as advocates

These activities have shown that women are powerful agents of social change, capable of turning information into community action.

For more information: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CrGx1K1S9

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B6k5y7vRT/b

🇸🇳 Senegal: Community Efforts to Eliminate Malaria 

Community mobilization efforts in Khombole and Thiénaba, led by community-based organizations (CBOs), have yielded encouraging results, according to a statement by the district chief medical officer:

• No malaria-related deaths in certain districts, 
• Strong involvement of religious and community leaders 
• CSO Mobilization alongside Voix EssentiELLES and Speak Up Africa

These advances show that elimination is possible, but it requires sustained prevention efforts and, above all, the ongoing involvement of women in local strategies.

For more information: https://aps.sn/khombole-moins-de-deux-personnes-sur-1-000-atteintes-de-paludisme-zero-deces-en-2025-medecin-chef/ 

🇹🇬 Togo: Strengthening community participation in health decision-making 

This momentum led to a community advocacy effort in the WAWA 1 district aimed at involving local organizations in community health decision-making processes.

Particular emphasis was placed on women’s participation in local committees, in order to ensure that decisions are more closely aligned with the realities on the ground.

🇧🇯 Benin: Sports and Youth Support the Fight Against Malaria 

JMP 2026 was celebrated as part of a strong regional initiative that brought together several countries through the Speak Up Africa in Action platform. Sports leaders emphasized that sports can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and driving social change.

The activities included:

• A Media Day and a storytelling workshop with about twenty engaged young people, journalists, and content creators
• A 3-on-3 basketball tournament with young people
• The Queen Adjignon Natabou Foundation's site visit to the Klouékanmè-Toviklin-Lalo health zone 
• Community outreach initiatives led by Voix EssentiELLES

A shared conviction across the six countries of the European Union: women at the heart of the struggle

Everywhere, one message stands out:

• Women are the primary agents of prevention
• They are the first responders at the community level
• But they remain underrepresented in strategic decision-making

The Voix EssentiELLES movement is therefore calling for structural change:

• Inclusion of women in health governance bodies
• Gender-responsive budgeting in malaria programs
• Formal Recognition of Women's Community Leadership
• Strengthening mechanisms for CSO participation

Now we can, now we must

JMP 2026 is not just a commemoration. It is a call to action.

A call led by women, communities, and committed organizations.

A clear call to action: Malaria elimination will only be possible if the women who carry out prevention efforts on a daily basis are also the ones who decide on prevention strategies.

Les Voix EssentiELLES will continue to champion this cause, driven by a strong conviction:
👉 Putting women at the center of decision-making will accelerate the elimination of malaria.