The president of the Republic of Liberia, Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by proclamation declared Friday, April 25, 2014 as “World Malaria Day” to be observed throughout the Republic as a WORKING HOLIDAY.

The day will be celebrated under the Theme: “Invest In The Future; Defeat malaria” with the national slogan “Get Tested For Malaria Before Treatment.”

The Proclamation calls on the Minister of Health and Social Welfare and other Government Agencies as well as international organizations concerned to initiate and execute appropriate programs to make the occasion meaningful.

The Proclamation recalled the continued investment in malaria endemic countries along the path in achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, especially those relating to improving child survival and Maternal health, eradicating extreme poverty and expanding access to education.

The release indicates that 35 of the 54 African countries affected by malaria have reduced the number of cases by 50% in last decade through access to malaria control intervention, thereby resulting most significantly in the decline of overall child mortality rates by approximately 20%.

In recognition of the significance of protecting the well being of its citizen and foreign residents alike, Liberia has ratified the convention on the rights of the child to Good health and Nutrition, the Proclamation stresses.

Being cognizant of the harmful effects and the burdens malaria places on the human race, particularly in Africa, a Resolution declaring April 25 of each year as Africa Malaria Day and amended as World Malaria Day was adopted by the Summit of African head of States and Governments held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997, calling on member states to initiate and implement plans of action that would curtail malaria related mortality rates in Africa, the proclamation says.