The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island (EMMIE) recognized the achievements of Costa Rica in the process of eradication of malaria in the country by awarding a prize of US $1.2 million to support these efforts.

The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island is a regional initiative financed by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through an innovative model of “Reward Funds” which are granted when the Ministry of Health in a country achieves the goals set in elimination of the disease.

The objective of the Global Fund’s Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Initiative is to help eliminate malaria in this region by 2020 — and to certify it as “malaria free” by 2025 — by bolstering and rewarding effective malaria programs.

Costa Rica registers important achievements in the past years in the fight against malaria, it investigates and provides supervised treatment to all confirmed cases applying the protocol established by the World Health Organization.

The prize was received by the Minister of Health Dr. Karen Mayorga. Costa Rica launched in 2015 its “Plan of Elimination of Malaria in Costa Rica, 2015-2020” through the implementation of six strategic areas: epidemiological surveillance, vigilance based in laboratory, social communication and participation, comprehensive administration of vectors, medical attention and environmental management.

According to the Minister, the challenge for Costa Rica is to be certified as free of native malaria cases by 2020, a goal that can only be reached with the common efforts of the Ministry of Health the Social Security Administration and the population in general.