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African Heads of State to review progress on Malaria Control

Discussions will center on Support for Financing and Procurement Mechanisms for Malaria Control; the Removal of Taxes and Tariffs on Imported Anti-Malaria drugs and commodities; Ban on the Use, Manufacture, and Importation of Artemisinin Mono-therapies; Support for Local Manufacturing of Malaria Products

 KAMPALA– The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) – a coalition of 30 African Heads of State who are working to end deaths from malaria – will convene a special session at the African Union Summit to review progress on malaria control and discuss ways to further accelerate progress. ALMA was launched by African Heads of State during the 2009 UN General Assembly.

The coalition is dedicated to keeping the fight against malaria high on the political and policy agenda at the global level and within Africa. In addition, it is developing innovative mechanisms to collaborate across African countries to strengthen the collective effort. All members of ALMA are committed to reaching the Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action on Malaria as well as the United Nations Secretary-General’s goal of ensuring universal coverage of essential malaria interventions, especially prevention with long lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor-spraying, by the end of 2010 and the goal of ending preventable malaria deaths by 2015.

The ALMA secretariat working under the direction of the Heads of States has worked hard to achieve a multinational bulk buying partnership – in collaboration with UNICEF– to accelerate the procurement of long lasting insecticidal nets and leverage the collective buying power of multiple countries.

The Heads of State will discuss policy initiatives designed to overcome important barriers to sustainable malaria control. Issues under discussions will include the following:

· Advocating for new financing to ensure long-term funding for malaria interventions in Africa, which includes an appeal to the donors for financial replenishments for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and the World Bank’s International Development Association(IDA);

 · Progress on the commitment that African leaders made under the 2000 Abuja Declaration to remove taxes and tariffs on imported anti-malarial commodities that increase the cost of these commodities;

· Progress on WHO recommendation and Roll Back Malaria (RBM)’s call for banning the use, importation, and manufacture of artemisinin mono-therapies, which contribute to increased resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the only recommended treatment for malaria, which is currently under threat from drug resistance;

· Call for support for the development of local manufacturing in Africa of high-quality anti-malarial products such as nets and medicines, and encourage their submission to the World Health Organization for pre-qualification and approval.

The ALMA meeting will be convened by the President of Tanzania, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, who has served as ALMA’s convener since the forum was launched. ALMA leaders will elect a Head of State as a Chairperson for 2010-2011 as part of their proceedings.

 

“Through the power of partnership, African leaders are stepping forward to combat malaria and end this completely preventable scourge,” said His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, of the United Republic of Tanzania and ALMA founder and convener. “This effort would not be possible without strong financial support from partners, including the Global Fund and World Bank, both of which are currently seeking crucial funding replenishments. As African Heads of State, we know we are on the verge of winning the fight against malaria, and are eager to sustain the gains. To do so, we urge our development partners to follow through in delivering the necessary funds to the Global Fund and World Bank to achieve the goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015. There is no turning back now.”

“For decades the spread of malaria was unstoppable,”

said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and Minister of Health of Ethiopia. “We are changing the trajectory of malaria in Africa. Today, at least 10 countries in Africa are reporting significant decreases in malaria cases and declines in malaria deaths of up to 80 percent. The Global Fund is a vital partner for African countries to eliminate malaria as a major public health problem by 2015- - a fully funded Global Fund can help achieve this goal.”

“Helping Africa rid itself of the needless deaths, sickness, and lost opportunities caused by malaria would be one of the greatest global development accomplishments in generations,” said Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group. “Equally important is the manner in which this success is being achieved. ALMA’s founding and continued leadership is a clear example of Africa taking on its greatest challenges with collective action. Through our International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank is making investments in malaria control that will have returns both in terms of lives saved and well beyond the health sector. We look forward to strengthening our support for ALMA as it deploys innovative solutions to end deaths from malaria.”

The scale-up in leadership and resources dedicated to the fight against malaria in Africa is translating directly into lives saved. The number of people protected by IRS has almost tripled between 2006 and 2009. More than 200 million Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) have been delivered across sub-Saharan Africa affording protection to one half of the population at risk of the disease

“With the scheduled delivery of an additional 150 million LLINs by the end of 2010, universal coverage of malaria prevention can be achieved” says UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon. According to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, mosquito nets have saved one million lives since 2000.