Fighting the good fight: The role of militaries in malaria elimination in Southeast Asia

Despite significant progress in malaria control in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria is still endemic, with more than 30 million people infected annually. Important gaps remain in case management, service delivery, prevention, and vector control, particularly in hard-to-reach mobile populations. Rapidly evolving drug resistance has created a new urgency to move aggressively toward elimination. However, no clear and cost-effective strategy has been identified. Although GMS militaries are under-recognized as a malaria transmission reservoir, they are an important focal point for elimination activities, given their high mobility, frequent malaria exposure, and potential for asymptomatic carriage. At the same time, military organizational capacity and proximity to other mobile populations could facilitate elimination efforts if relevant political barriers could be overcome. Here, we review considerations for military involvement in regional malaria elimination efforts.