Successfully halting the transmission of malaria and eradicating the disease will ultimately rely on intentional and collaborative action between communities, stakeholders and national authorities engaged in control and elimination efforts. Permanently breaking the cycle of disease transmission between the parasite, mosquitos and humans will require the careful orchestration of a range of public health responses and interventions that cross sectors and jurisdictions. Often these are a combination of preventing individuals from being exposed and bitten using insecticide treated bed nets and reducing mosquito breeding sites in the environment and providing accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment to those who acquire malaria and become sick. What is needed will vary between and within countries depending on the climate, environment, local infrastructure, demography, livelihoods and culture. Consequently, a world free of malaria can only be realized when individuals, families, communities, institutions and sectors engage with each other and work together to address the specificities and dynamics of their own context. Creating the conditions and opportunities that support meaningful participation will necessitate placing people at the centre of eradication considerations, so that building trust and mutual understanding become drivers for engaging with authenticity, care and purpose.