Leaders from Africa convening on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), are rallying to save dwindling malaria control fund other disease outbreaks threaten to derail decades of progress in the fight against malaria in Africa.
They believe a reduced Global Fund replenishment could result in 137.2 million additional malaria cases and 337,000 more deaths, with severe consequences for poverty, economic growth, and global trade
This high-level fireside chat, hosted by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) emphasised the urgent need for an accelerated effort to overcome these challenges and accelerate towards malaria elimination.
The leaders identified key challenges contributing to this perfect storm, including significant financial shortfalls, the impact of climate change, the growing resistance to insecticides and antimalarials and with climate-induced disasters leading to increased flooding and malaria upsurges.
If malaria resources continue to stagnate between 2027 and 2029, there will be an estimated additional 112 million malaria cases and up to 280,700 more deaths.
“This financial gap poses a grave threat, and if these gaps are not filled, we risk seeing a significant increase in malaria deaths” said President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the outgoing chair of ALMA.
Furthermore, the leaders noted the importance of a successful Global Fund replenishment in 2025, and the continued prioritisation of malaria financing within global fund programmes, to avoid even bigger malaria upsurges.
They emphasised the need for a multi-sectoral approach, including collaborations with sectors like agriculture, environment, mining, and tourism, for successful malaria elimination, pandemic preparedness and response.
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“To secure $6.3 billion annually to achieve malaria elimination, accelerated action is necessary. This involves increasing domestic resource commitments, finding new partners, and integrating malaria efforts with broader initiatives such as combating climate change, strengthening health systems, expanding primary health care, and enhancing pandemic preparedness,” Abderaman Koulamallah, minister of state and foreign affairs, African Integration, Republic of Chad.
The leaders highlighted the importance of embracing innovative financing mechanisms, including tapping into the private sector and enhancing public-private partnerships.
The launch of multisectoral, high-level National End Malaria and NTD Councils and Funds has already mobilised over $72 million, particularly from the local private sector.
These councils have facilitated national and community advocacy campaigns while keeping malaria and NTDs at the forefront of national development and financing agendas.
AU Member States were urged to prioritise health, with malaria serving as a pathfinder in securing World Bank International Development Association (IDA) funding to close immediate gaps. The leaders called for strong advocacy for sufficient global replenishments for IDA, Gavi, and the Global Fund.
These resources are not only crucial for malaria elimination but also vital for strengthening overall health systems and addressing other health challenges such as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and primary healthcare.
The session also called for strategic information to guide decisions and the adoption of accountability mechanisms, including through the use of scorecards, should be established to ensure that every dollar is spent effectively for maximum impact, reaching the communities most in need.
“Our efforts are not just about addressing malaria; they are about safeguarding the health and future of our entire continent. Ending this killer disease, alongside progress toward the HIV/AIDS and TB targets outlined in the Catalytic Framework to End AIDS, TB, and Eliminate Malaria in Africa by 2030, will lay the foundation for reducing Africa’s health burden and further propel the achievement of universal health goals,” said Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, the African union commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development.
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