On June 18 in San José, Costa Rica, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), represented by Dr. Emma Iriarte, participated in the regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of Health of the Central American Integration System (COMISCA). COMISCA brought together eight health authorities from the IREM participating countries: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Dr. Emma Iriarte presented to COMISCA the preliminary results of the first goal verification of the Regional Malaria Elimination Initiative (RMEI) as of 2024:
- Passive case detection of malaria increased by more than 20 percentage points in 5 out of 8 countries.
- In 5 out of 8 countries, the time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis—critical to interrupting malaria transmission—was reduced by more than 20 percentage points.
- In 6 out of 8 countries, there was an increase of 35 percentage points in the appropriate and timely prescription of treatment.
The Council of Ministers of Health reiterated their national and regional commitment to malaria elimination, recognizing the strength of the progress achieved. They also highlighted the need to consolidate and scale up all ongoing innovations and interventions, including cross-border coordination and the management of transmission risks associated with human mobility, which directly impact the malaria burden in the region. The IDB reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting countries through RMEI with its results-based financing (RBF) model as well as technical and operational assistance for implementation.
In a formal resolution, the authorities instructed the COMISCA Executive Secretariat and the technical teams of the Ministries and Secretariats of Health to plan and adjust national and regional strategies towards 2027, in light of these results. Likewise, COMISCA authorities endorsed that the IDB continue its dialogue to mobilize additional resources to combat vector-borne diseases.
The IDB serves as the administrator of the Regional Malaria Elimination Initiative (RMEI). COMISCA is part of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and plays an integral role in RMEI governance. Its resolutions are binding for its member states under the Protocol of Tegucigalpa to the Charter of the Organization of Central American States (ODECA). Within the framework of RMEI, COMISCA’s Executive Secretariat is responsible for implementing a regional goal-setting project to accelerate malaria elimination in its member states.