Progress Report
Unprecedented investments in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are leading to improvements in health across sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2003 in Rwanda, only 1% of the population in need was receiving life-saving HIV/AIDS medication. By 2007 the coverage rate was almost 71% of those in need. The number of women receiving medication to prevent mother-to-child transmission was 35% in 2005, and increased to 60% in 2007 thanks to an increase in treatment sites-from only 11 in 2001 to 285 in 2007.
In Ethiopia, the number of childhood malaria cases reported at clinics fell by 60% and the death rate was halved within two years - from 2005 to 2007. This was the result of a massive bed net distribution undertaken by the Ethiopian government with support from programs like the Global Fund, the World Bank and the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). In 2004, less than 5% of households in Ethiopia owned a bed net to protect against malaria. The government set an ambitious target to ensure that every household in a malaria-risk area owned two long-lasting, insecticide treated nets by 2008, which required distributing a total of 20 million nets. By January 2008, Ethiopia had exceeded this target by delivering approximately 20.5 million nets.
The number of people on life-saving antiretroviral medication in Malawi increased from 500 in 2002 to more than 100,000 by 2007. The Malawi Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (MBCA) channels resources to businesses, enabling them to provide their employees, their employees' dependents, and surrounding communities with treatment and prevention services. These efforts have led to a 44% decline in mortality in targeted workplaces such as ESCOM (Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi), a utility company with one of Malawi's largest employee bases. The MBCA offers these services to over 65 companies and operates 28 clinics throughout Malawi.
Between 2003 and 2007, different parts of The Gambia saw drops in the number of malaria cases between a 50 and 82 percent. The Gambia also experienced a 100% fall in malaria-related deaths in 2007 - meaning that no deaths from malaria were reported that year. This success is due to the increased distribution of insecticide treated bed nets, indoor spraying programs, and the use of new drugs to treat malaria cases.
Thanks to a strong National Malaria Strategic Plan and increased partnerships and financing, Zambia has achieved impressive results in the area of malaria control. Between 2006 and 2008, the use of insecticide treated bed nets by children under five and by pregnant women increased by more than 65%. Also, the number of children under five with malaria has decreased, as have the number of cases of severe anemia. Almost two-thirds of the country is covered by either an insecticide-treated bed net or recent indoor residual spraying.
Across Africa, innovative technology is being harnessed by the health community to overcome challenges to service delivery and data collection. In Rwanda, funding from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) enabled the implementation of TRACnet, a web-based system that collects and disseminates ART program reporting, drug shortages and CD-4 tests. Over 85% of TRACnet users input data via mobile phone. TRACnet has been deployed in 50 out of 53 health facilities offering antiretroviral treatment in Rwanda, accounting for 95% of all patients on treatment.
Nearly 11,500 people die every day from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Almost two-thirds of these people are living in sub-Saharan Africa.
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1.7 million people die from tuberculosis every year (including 456,000 people who are also HIV-postive). MORE