Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland renew their regional commitment to combating malaria

The MOSASWA Regional Grant strengthens cross-border action and partnership to accelerate malaria elimination in Southern Africa.

Maputo, April 2026 Mozambique, South Africa and the Kingdom of Swaziland reaffirmed their shared commitment to eliminating malaria through the launch of the new MOSASWA grant, a coordinated cross-border initiative designed to reduce malaria transmission and protect hard-won gains across Southern Africa.

The MOSASWA initiative, which covers Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland, recognizes that malaria does not stop at borders. Transmission moves with people, parasites, and increasingly with extreme weather events, making regional coordination essential to achieving elimination.

The new phase of MOSASWA is supported by a catalytic investment of $24 million, bringing together $8 million from the Global Fund, $12 million from the Gates Foundation, and $5.5 million in support from Goodbye Malaria, under a single, unified mechanism. This alignment aims to strengthen impact, improve coordination, and maintain momentum toward malaria elimination in the region.

The launch took place in Maputo, Mozambique, and was led by the Mozambican Minister of Health, Dr. Ussene Hilário Isse. The event was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Health of Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland, as well as regional health leaders, technical partners, civil society, donors, implementing partners, and representatives from the private sector.

This renewed commitment deepens cross-border collaboration in the MOSASWA corridor, one of the most strategically important areas for malaria elimination in Southern Africa. Coordinated action between neighboring countries is crucial to combat cross-border malaria transmission, strengthen surveillance, and reach mobile and more isolated populations.

According to Sherwin Charles, Executive Director of Goodbye Malaria, “the MOSASWA initiative demonstrates that eliminating malaria requires more than national action; it requires effective coordination between countries, alignment of investments, and the strategic use of data.”

Charles emphasized that when malaria control is coordinated on both sides of a border, the impact ceases to be incremental and becomes exponential. The MOSASWA model demonstrates that it is possible to translate funding, partnership, and operational focus into concrete and sustainable results, even in the face of challenges such as population mobility, resource scarcity, and extreme weather events.

In turn, the Minister of Health, Dr. Ussene Hilário Isse, highlighted the progress achieved and future objectives: “The evidence is clear: in Mozambique, we have recorded significant reductions in malaria cases, notably 65.5% in Maputo Province, 94.3% in Gaza and 58.1% in Inhambane. These results reflect the impact of a coordinated response in a region where malaria knows no borders. With the strengthening of the MOSASWA initiative, we aim to accelerate the reduction of incidence by 40% by 2028 and achieve elimination at the district level in key areas, consolidating a sustainable path to a malaria-free region.”

The MOSASWA partnership has already produced solid results, including significant reductions in malaria cases in southern Mozambique and a nearly 50% reduction in imported cases to South Africa and Swaziland. The new grant will contribute to maintaining this progress through targeted cross-border interventions, enhanced surveillance, and greater coverage of vulnerable, mobile, and remote populations.

In this context, Luís Fortunato, Regional Director of Goodbye Malaria, emphasized the crucial role of regional cooperation: “Malaria knows no borders, and that is precisely why our response cannot be isolated. Cooperation between Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa is essential to stop transmission and prevent the importation of cases between countries. Mozambique continues to register the highest incidence of the disease in the region, which makes this joint effort even more critical to ensure that the progress achieved is maintained in the medium and long term.”

For Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, regional collaboration remains essential: “Coordinated action, such as that represented by MOSASWA, can save lives and strengthen elimination efforts. What is being developed in Southern Africa offers valuable lessons for the rest of the world.”

The launch comes at a time of increasing malaria risk associated with climate change. Following the severe floods that hit Mozambique in early 2026, the Global Fund approved $2.1 million in emergency funding to support indoor residual spraying and larvicide application in Maputo and Gaza provinces, where the risk of malaria transmission has increased sharply. Made available through the MOSASWA platform, this support enables a rapid and coordinated response targeting the highest-risk areas and displaced populations.

The private sector continues to play a significant role in this effort, contributing resources, innovation, advocacy, and operational dynamism to the malaria response. Goodbye Malaria's contribution to MOSASWA illustrates the power of African private sector leadership in supporting regional health priorities and bringing countries closer to elimination. This commitment is reinforced by a network of private sector partners, including Vodacom Mozambique and Nando's, whose continued support demonstrates what becomes possible when business, creativity, and purpose are mobilized in service of public health.

World Malaria Conference

Alongside the launch of MOSASWA, Maputo hosted the World Malaria Conference, a high-level meeting that brought together government leaders, global health experts, technical agencies, and representatives from philanthropy, implementation, advocacy, and the private sector.

The conference examined what is needed to advance malaria elimination in a context of limited resources, climate shocks, shifting financing, and accelerated transformation. Discussions focused on how to make the malaria response more effective, strengthen country leadership, integrate innovation, leverage smarter and more efficient financing, and build the partnerships necessary to achieve elimination.

Together, the launch of MOSASWA and the World Malaria Conference were designed to go beyond celebrating progress. They demonstrated how African-led malaria elimination, supported by strong regional collaboration and sustained partnerships, can produce results with relevance far beyond Southern Africa.