The World Health Organisation, (WHO), has projected that for the world to meet the 2030 targets of the global malaria strategy, malaria investments should hit at least US$6.6 billion annually in the next two years.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, affirmed: “When countries prioritize action on malaria, we see the results in lives saved and cases reduced. WHO and global malaria control partners will continue striving to help governments, especially those with the highest burden, scale up the response to malaria.”
“To meet the 2030 targets of the global malaria strategy, malaria investments should reach at least US$6.6 billion annually by 2020 – more than double the amount available today.
As reductions in malaria cases and deaths slow, funding for the global response has also shown a levelling off, with US$ 3.1 billion made available for control and elimination programmes in 2017 including US$ 900 million (28%) from governments of malaria endemic countries. The United States of America remains the largest single international donor, contributing US$ 1.2 billion (39%) in 2017.”
In 2017, approximately 70% of all malaria cases (151 million) and deaths (274 000) were concentrated in 10 African countries and India, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania. Sadly, there were 3.5 million more malaria cases reported in these 10 African countries in 2017 compared to 2016.
“Nobody should die from malaria. But the world faces a new reality: as progress stagnates, we are at risk of squandering years of toil, investment and success in reducing the number of people suffering from the disease,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
