September 22nd, 2010
World Leaders Announce that Malaria Efforts are on Track
African Heads of State and Development Leaders Renew Committment to Ending Malaria Deaths by 2015
NEW YORK - Sept. 22, 2010 - Prominent leaders in global health and development joined several African heads of state at UN Headquarters today to announce new commitments to accelerate progress toward ending deaths from malaria, a disease that claims the lives of more than 850,000 Africans each year.
Participants included Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda of Tanzania; President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone; Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg of Great Britain; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, BillCo-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Margaret Chan, Director-Gates, General, World Health Organization; Robert B. Zoellick, President, the World Bank Group; Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; and Ray Chambers, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria.
"As we assess progress on the MDGs, our record on malaria stands as an example of successful implementation and effective collaboration," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement. "We have made solid advances in recent years both in reducing deaths and increasing the use of lifesaving nets. The goal of ending malaria deaths is within reach, and I urge all partners to sustain the momentum."
Leaders of all sub-Saharan African nations are working to bridge critical gaps in access to mosquito nets, Indoor Residual Spraying, and medicines to reach UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's goal of providing lifesaving malaria control interventions to the 700 million people at risk of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of 2010.
As a result of country leadership and the commitment of partners such as the World Bank Group, the Global Fund, and the US President's Malaria Initiative, the majority of African nations have secured nearly all of the financial resources required to achieve the target. To ensure that there are no delays in reaching the Secretary-General's goal, partners and African leadership are committing to accelerating the delivery of these life-saving interventions by the end of 2010.
"Endemic countries and donor governments have demonstrated that rapid and steady progress against malaria is possible, and we must keep going to achieve the objectives of zero preventable malaria deaths and eradication," said Bill Gates, co-chair and Trustee, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This will be possible only by sustaining existing efforts and committing to develop and introduce new tools, including a safe and effective malaria vaccine, new drugs and vector control tools."
Speaking on behalf of His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda of the United Republic of Tanzania called for global support to help Africa achieve the Abuja targets and the UN Secretary-General's targets.
"Africa's leaders are grateful for these new commitments from the international community," said Mr. Pinda. "Partnership is absolutely essential to making progress against malaria, and Africa's heads of state are fully committed to achieving victory against malaria in the next decade. We owe our children nothing less."
"Today enough nets are in place to protect 75 percent of those at risk, and we will reach universal coverage by December 31, 2010, an astounding testimony to the power and efficacy of the, unified global campaign," said Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria "These nets have reached nearly 500 million people in the last two years alone, and their impact on saving lives is profound - current levels of intervention aresaving 200,000 lives per year. We are on track to meet the Secretary-General's goal of ending malaria deaths by 2015, and our work won't be finished until we do."
NOTES TO EDITORS
The African Leaders Malaria Alliance For more information please visit ALMA2015.org.
Universal Access to Malaria Control Interventions and the Secretary-General's Goal: Projections indicate that
Dedication to universal coverage does not end on December 31st, as the production and distribution of nets will continue in the early months of 2011 and the global partnership will ensure that nations with ongoing financing gaps for new and replacement campaigns receive the necessary resources.