Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the implications of the increase in malaria cases in Venezuela for the World Health Organisation target of malaria elimination in the Americas by 2020.

The World Health Organisation is aware of the increase in malaria cases in Venezuela. Progress towards the region meeting the goals of the Regional plan of action for malaria elimination 2016-2020 is threatened by the current levels of transmission in Venezuela, though their attainment remains possible dependent on transmission levels in other affected countries. The WHO Regional Office of the Americas issued an alert in February 2017 with recommendations for countries to strengthen national responses to increased cases