The Global Fund has announced a new phase in its malaria response in southern Africa, launching the MOSASWA multi-country grant alongside additional emergency and climate-responsive funding. The initiative, announced ahead of World Malaria Day, aims to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination by addressing rising transmission risks linked to population movement and extreme weather events.
The MOSASWA programme brings together Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini in a coordinated cross-border effort to eliminate malaria. It is supported by a US$24 million catalytic investment, combining funding from the Global Fund, the Gates Foundation, and Goodbye Malaria. The initiative focuses on strengthening regional collaboration, improving surveillance, and reaching mobile and underserved populations to reduce transmission across borders.
The partnership has already delivered notable results, including significant reductions in malaria cases in southern Mozambique and a nearly 50% decline in imported cases in South Africa and Eswatini. The new funding is intended to sustain and expand these gains through targeted interventions and improved coordination between countries.
Alongside this, the Global Fund has also allocated US$2.1 million in emergency support to Mozambique following severe flooding in early 2026. The floods damaged infrastructure, disrupted health services, and created conditions that significantly increased malaria transmission, with cases rising sharply in affected provinces. The emergency response includes vector control measures such as indoor spraying and larvicide application in high-risk areas.
The funding is being deployed through the MOSASWA platform to ensure a rapid and coordinated response in affected regions, particularly among displaced and vulnerable populations. Officials emphasized that this approach allows for quick scaling of interventions when unexpected crises occur.
Overall, the combined investment reflects a layered strategy that integrates long-term regional cooperation with emergency response capacity. The Global Fund highlighted that sustained investment, cross-border coordination, and adaptability to climate-related shocks will be essential for achieving malaria elimination in southern Africa.
