On 25 April 2000, African leaders from 44 malaria-endemic countries participated in the first-ever African Summit on Malaria in Abuja, Nigeria.

At the Summit, the leaders signed the historic Abuja Declaration committing governments to an intensive effort to halve the burden of malaria in Africa by 2010 and setting interim targets for the year 2005.

To highlight the gravity of the malaria situation on the continent, the leaders at the Summit also declared that 25 April of each year would be commemorated as Africa Malaria Day.

Source: http://www.rollbackmalaria.