Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and zoonoses are a devastating obstacle to human settlement and socioeconomic development of already impoverished communities. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that control of these diseases can contribute  directly to achievement of several Millennium Development Goals.

There have been many challenges in the development and consolidation of this Regional Strategic Plan for Malaria which focuses on the 2006–2010 period. It takes into account the need for continuous efforts to achieve specific goals as well as the reduction of the burden on human health and the negative social and economic effects of the disease among the most affected population groups. Nevertheless, there is consensus that strategies must be of optimum relevance to the realities of the malaria situation in the region and among its member territories.