The Echoes from AEFJN No. 30 - July August 2016 are now available online. World Malaria Report
Following the call in 2008 by United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon for universal access to malaria, the past five years have seen an impressive increase in international funding for malaria prevention, control and elimination.
A concerted effort of health organizations, governments of affected countries and donors in sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest burden of malaria, have produced visible results. During the past decade, an estimated 1.1 million malaria deaths were averted, primarily as a result of a scale-up of malaria interventions. However, the available funding still falls short of the resources required to reach the agreed global malaria targets. While US$ 5.1 billion would be needed every year between 2011 and 2020 to achieve universal access to malaria, only US$ 2.3 billion are available. There is an urgent need to examine new ways to stretch the existing funds by increasing the efficiency of service delivery.
The World Malaria Report 2012 presents the latest available data from malaria-endemic countries, and contains valuable analyses of progress and trends. Behind the statistics and graphs lies a great tragedy: malaria – an entirely preventable and treatable disease – still takes the life of an African child every minute. The most vulnerable communities in the world continue to lack sufficient access to long-lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying, diagnostic testing, and artemisinin-based combination therapies.
In addition, resistance to artemisinins has been detected in four countries of South-East Asia, while mosquito resistance to insecticides has been found in 64 countries around the world.
The report demonstrates that 50 countries are on track to reduce their malaria case incidence rates by 75%. However, these 50 countries account for only 3% (or 7 million) of the total estimated malaria cases worldwide. International targets for malaria will not be attained unless considerable progress is made in the 14 highest burden countries, which account for an estimated 80% of malaria deaths.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has made available new global surveillance manuals for malaria control and elimination and published the Global Plan for Insecticide Resistance Management in malaria vectors. These practical documents will help countries update and refocus their national malaria strategies to achieve better results with the limited resources available.
The recommended Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention for the control of malaria in the Sahel sub-Region of Africa a simple and inexpensive intervention has the potential to prevent more than 75% of uncomplicated and severe malaria among children younger than five years of age.
The fight against this disease needs to be integrated into the overall development agenda in all endemic countries. Further progress can only be achieved by strengthening health systems and ensure that sustained and predictable financing is available.
The report shows how far we have come in the struggle against malaria; we must act with urgency and determination to keep this tremendous progress from slipping out of our grasp.