Asia-Pacific malaria is singular, pervasive, diverse and invisible

[Display omitted] •Asia-Pacific malaria has unique character and diversity.•Over 2 billion residents of the Asia-Pacific region live at risk of malaria infection.•The tools to eliminate malaria in the Asia-Pacific region do not yet exist.•Combatting malaria in the Asia-Pacific region is likely to extend well beyond 2030. Malaria in the Asia-Pacific region has been targeted for elimination by the year 2030. This article asks the question, “by what means?” in the context of proven technical strategies and tools against key challenges imposed by the distinct character of the Asia-Pacific malaria problem. The misperception of malaria in the Asia-Pacific region as a less serious but otherwise essentially similar problem to African malaria lulls us into rote application of the same tools and strategies. Those now mitigating the harm done by malaria in Africa will not suffice to eliminate malaria in the Asia-Pacific region – these tasks and the problems are fundamentally distinct. This article describes the singular characteristics of Asia-Pacific malaria and the bearing of those upon the technical strategy of malaria elimination. Most of the tools needed for that endeavour do not yet exist and spirited calls for elimination within the next 14years may discourage the patience and investments needed to conceive, optimise and validate them.