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Latest News Malaria consortium joins uk rbm in launch of report

Malaria Consortium joins UK Roll Back Malaria Partners in launch of report

18 March 2010
London, 18 March: A new report confirms that current investment in malaria control is saving lives and reaping far-reaching benefits for countries. But it warns that without sustained and predictable funding, the significant contribution of malaria control toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) could be reversed. 

These are the findings of the first report from the Progress and Impact series of Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership, “Malaria Funding & Resource Utilisation: the First Decade of Roll Back Malaria”, which was launched at the Royal Society of Medicine today.

Speakers at the launch included Dr. Jenny Amery, Head of Profession for Health at the Department for International Development (DFID), Dr. Richard Cibulskis of the Global Malaria Programme at the World Health Organisation (WHO), and His Excellency the Ethiopian Ambassador Berhanu Kebede.

In his speech, Dr Cibluskis commented how bigger malaria endemic countries that are in receipt of less funding are showing consistently less coverage. Dr Amery echoed WHO’s remarks, adding that it is vital that there is a commitment to financial and structural support at a domestic level in malaria endemic countries in the continuing fight for the elimination of transmission of the disease.

Speaking after the event, International Development Minister, Mike Foster MP, reaffirmed DFID’s dedication to combating malaria, adding: "It is an appalling tragedy that every thirty seconds a child in Africa dies from malaria. But thanks to UK support we are winning the fight against this deadly yet preventable disease by ensuring families sleep safe under the protection of a bed net. UK aid has delivered over 14 million lifesaving bed nets since 2008. This means we are well on target to meet the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver 20 million bed nets by the end of 2010 to help prevent 110,000 child deaths. Alongside our prevention efforts we are also funding the Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria which will make life-saving malaria drugs available free or at low cost”.

The report, authored by UNICEF, WHO and MACEPA, a program at PATH with data provided by the Global Fund, the World Bank and US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI,) was also simultaneously launched in Paris. It is the first of six to be published over the next two years, and documents the increase in external funding for malaria in the last 10 years with an in-depth analysis of 12 African nations. 

For more information, please contact Diana Thomas [email protected].

 

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