GENEVA –
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said today that
new advances in science and implementation have given the global
community the opportunity to control malaria and
remove it as a threat to global health.
As
people in many countries observe World Malaria Day on 25 April, the
Global Fund said commitment is needed by all partners in the fight
against malaria to expand and intensify efforts, so it
can be transformed from a worldwide killer into a manageable and
treatable disease.
“We can
defeat malaria, if we work together,” said Mark Dybul, Executive
Director of the Global Fund. “We have a chance to control it and sharply
reduce the number of children who die from it
each year. If we don’t act decisively, we will be counting the cost for
generations."
Huge
progress has been made against malaria over the past decade, driven by
simple scientific advances like mosquito nets treated with insecticide,
quicker diagnostic tests and more effective
antimalarial drugs. Better implementation, in programs supported by the
Global Fund, has led to the distribution of more than 310 million nets,
far broader access to rapid diagnostic tests and treatment with
artemisinin-based combination therapy.
But
these gains could now be in jeopardy. A resurgence of malaria may occur
unless increased funding is provided to expand efforts to control the
disease. Experts warn that a decline in anti-malarial
efforts could quickly allow a return to pre-2000 levels of mortality,
when 1.2 million people died from malaria. Today, the total is roughly
half that amount.
Dr.
Dybul singled out partners like the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM)
and the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Financing
Health MDGs and for Malaria, Ray Chambers, for
their success in raising awareness of the critical need to increase
funding.
Earlier
this month, the Global Fund announced a target of raising US$15 billion
for the 2014-2016 period. When combined with other sources of funding,
that will enable global partners to have
a transformative effect on AIDS, TB and malaria.
For
malaria, resources would be targeted to achieve universal coverage of
insecticide-treated nets and access to effective treatment in the 18
highest-burden countries, where most malaria deaths
occur. An additional 200,000 lives could be saved every year than with
the funding that is currently available.
The new
funding model recently launched by the Global Fund is expected to
achieve greater impact by encouraging ambitious programs and by focusing
interventions and financing for specific populations
and catchment areas. By reaching highly vulnerable, marginalized and
stigmatized groups, including women and girls, sex workers, people who
inject drugs, men who have sex with men, people in prison and migrants,
more programs will maximize impact while advancing
human rights.
The new
funding model also strives to align investments in disease programs
with national health strategies while strengthening health systems and
serving as a platform for promoting the health
of a person rather than only combating specific diseases.
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The
Global Fund is an international financing institution dedicated to
attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS,
TB
and malaria. The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments,
civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most
effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach
relies on country ownership and performance-based
funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs
based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where
verifiable results are achieved.
Since
its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has supported more than 1,000
programs in 151 countries, providing AIDS treatment for 4.2 million
people,
anti-tuberculosis treatment for 9.7 million people and 310 million
insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria. The Global Fund
works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral
organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing
with the three diseases.
For more information, please contact:
ANDREW HURST
Head of Media and Translations
Mobile: +41795616807
E-mail:
Andrew.hurst@theglobalfund.org
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