What we want
鈥淐omprehensive malaria control is the lowest hanging fruit on the planet. For just US$ 3 per person per year in the rich countries, it is possible to fund the comprehensive control of malaria in Africa, ensuring universal access to live-saving nets, effective medicines, and other control measures. Millions of lives in the coming years can be saved, with profound economic benefits as well. This is an historic bargain too great to miss.鈥
Jeffrey Sachs (World Malaria Report 2005)
Malaria threatens half the world鈥檚 population. The disease continues to kill almost one million people every year, and undermines social growth and development in the poorest countries. Combating malaria and other diseases is one of the most effective ways to alleviate poverty and promote equitable and sustainable economic progress. Due to a vast increase in funding and intervention coverage we have evidence that aid for malaria is working. But unless efforts are scaled up and predictable long-term funding is made available the international community will fail to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
STOP MALARIA NOW! is particularly working in line with MDG 4, 5 and 6:
- Advocating for scaled-up action of the European Union and its member states to reach 2010 Universal Coverage targets* as well as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
- Promoting an integrated approach of strengthening local health systems and disease-specific responses in order to reach the health-related MDGs.
- Campaigning for increased, predictable and sustainable funding for malaria based on strong international political commitments.
- Supporting effective partnerships between the international community and people who live their lives under threat of the disease in order to build organisational capacity and improve infrastructure for supply and delivery of malaria control tools particularly on the grassroots level.
- Acknowledging that support for research, development and manufacturing of new drugs and insecticides will continue to be of paramount importance due to increased resistances of the parasite to existing drugs.
- Advocating for the need to bridge the supply gap of essential prevention and treatment tools to ensure that life-saving commodities reach vulnerable groups.
* Malaria Universal Coverage targets, as identified by the UN Secretary General in 2008, include achieving universal coverage for all populations at risk with locally appropriate interventions; 80% of malaria patients are diagnosed and treated within 24 hours of the onset of the illness and malaria burden is reduced by 50% compared to 2000 rates.
