Africa’s Progress in Fighting Malaria
On Monday I was in New York City for the launch of an important report charting Africa’s progress in the fight against malaria and the major efforts still needed. Released by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) and UNICEF, World Malaria Day 2010: Africa Update shows that increased funding for malaria control programs has resulted in significant reductions in the malaria burden in a number of countries, including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Zambia, and Zanzibar.
Global malaria control funding has jumped from $0.3 billion in 2003 to nearly $1.7 billion in 2009. The report credits the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the single largest funder of malaria control efforts at 2/3 of all resources), the World Bank, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others for this significant increase in resources. However, the report also highlights the fact that funding still falls short of the $6 billion required in 2010 by the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP) for the implementation of global malaria control interventions.
Over the period 2004 to 2009, malaria investments have helped to increase the global production of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) five-fold to 150 million, and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) procurement 30-fold to 160 million.
There were approximately 250 million cases of malaria in 2008, resulting in 850,000 deaths, 90 percent of which occurred in Africa, mainly among children under five years of age. An estimated 1 in every 6 child deaths (16 percent) in Africa is due to malaria.
Panelists at the event, including Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, Head of the President’s Malaria Initiative and U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, and Dr. Robert Newman, Director of the World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Program, called for expanded access to rapid diagnostic tests for malaria and effective ACT treatment, in addition to preventative interventions. Dr. Newman reported that 29 countries were still using ineffective monotherapeis, and he called this the greatest threat to increasing drug resistance.
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April 25, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Hi there Rena,
I like y’alls efforts and initiatives when it comes to helping in eradicating some issues that seem to be prevalent in Africa. I was fortunate to attend the session that was held at SMU on Saturday (I came with the President of African Chamber of Commerce.). On our way to another gathering in another city, we were brainstorming on some issues that could positively have a vibrant impact on some of these issues such as Malaria and poverty.
For instance, when it comes to battling malaria, the most sensible solution is provision of protection such as mosquito nets and repellents. While this is a very imperative approach, it also needs additional complimentary approaches such as improving infrastructure. Having been born and lived in Kenya, Africa for the first 19 years of my life, it was until I came to the U.S that I realized how imperative sanitation is when it comes to one’s health. The neigbourhood in which I was born in, was characterized by ponds of green-slimy stagnant water right outside our windows. These served as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Up to date, the same ponds are still in existence only that they have multiplied.
I am yet to come across an un-covered trench in my neighbourhood here in Dallas where I live. The fact that the better part of the city is either concrete or grass makes it the more less-attractive for mosquitoes. My point is that, mosquito nets, drugs and repellents alone will not combat the fight against malaria in Africa. In fact, these serve as mere band-aid fixes just to get us through the next day. I have been sick with malaria a dozen of times even though I had a mosquito net. Since I could not be in my mosquito net all day, I fell victim at that instance when I was not protected.
What Africa needs is enforced regulations on all its cities and towns when it comes to laws regulating the building of infrastructure. And since I know things in Africa take decades to implement, attach such regulations to certain AID funds. Make it impossible to get funding and grants unless such regulations are fulfilled. Other initiatives such as starting manufacturing facilities that make the mosquito nets in African nations would be helpful as well in ensuring that there is not only employment, but the nets are affordable since they are produced local.
So these are some of the ways that some of these issues when it comes to trying to eradicate them, should be approached. We at the African Chamber of Commerce, DFW are working towards spearheading such undertakings.
http://www.africanchamberdfw.org
Patrick M.
September 17, 2010 at 5:09 am
Controlling malaria is achievable if we raise awareness so that the public participates by funding programs that can be implemented in a comprehensive manner.
http://stopextremepoverty.com/2009/12/11/the-death-of-a-little-girl-2/
November 5, 2010 at 11:28 am
To me long lasting treatmnt of malaria dose not worth the time wasted in leaving this comment its available to all malaria victims when anyone wants seriously want to invest
November 5, 2010 at 11:46 am
the long lasting malaria medicament is one of my invetions which can be taken for both treating and also as preventive one