QUESTION

What is the background of 25 April to be celebrated as World Malaria Day? Why just 25 April?

ANSWER

World Malaria Day was instituted by the World Health Assembly at its 60th meeting in May 2007. As far as I know, the choice of April 25th was arbitrary – it was almost a full year after the instituting assembly meeting, perhaps intending to give the organizers plenty of time to make preparations for the first observance of the day. In any case, World Malaria Day is now a symbolic date and a rallying time point for malaria advocacy and control efforts.