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2001/04 Malaria (Press)
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ACTION SHEET
ACTION SHEET – APRIL 2001
CONTROLLING MALARIA - ALLEVIATING POVERTY
STRATEGY
We continue our work on the Massive Effort against the Diseases of Poverty.
To date we have worked on tuberculosis, to ensure that the DOTS strategy for control of TB is implemented world-wide as soon as possible.
We now move to malaria - another disease of poverty. 25 April is Africa Malaria Day and we will use this opportunity to inform the wider public and decision-makers of the risk posed by malaria.
Malaria has had a particularly devastating effect in sub-Saharan Africa. We will write letters to newspaper and magazine editors highlighting the role of malaria in increasing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and request that greater international efforts are made to ensure that simple preventative measures are made widely available.
ACTION
1. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine.
2. Try to find a suitable ‘hook’ for your letter – perhaps an article on economics, employment or health (see action support sheet March 2001).
3. Point out that malaria exacerbates the poverty of the poorest people and countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
4. Say that the first Africa Malaria Day on 25 April reflects a commitment by the African countries to control malaria and reduce the poverty it causes.
5. Ask that effective strategies are developed, and adequate funding guaranteed to ensure that insecticide treated bednets are available to all African households, as a first step in controlling malaria.
DRAINING ECONOMIES
40% of the world is at risk of malaria. However, 9 out of 10 cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa an area that contains many of the world’s poorest countries.
The cost of controlling malaria drains African economies and slows economic growth by up to 1.3% each year. Countries have to use scarce hard currency on drugs, nets and insecticides. Malaria cost sub-Saharan African countries more than US$2 billion in 1997.
The short-term benefits of malaria control can be estimated at between US $3 - $12 billion annually. It has also been estimated that the Gross Domestic Product (a measure of wealth) of Africa is US $100 billion less than it would have been had malaria been controlled 20 – 30 years ago.
Malaria control is a long overdue economic necessity.
EXACERBATING FAMILY POVERTY
Children are particularly vulnerable to malaria. Absence from school due to malaria means that as much as 60% of schoolchildren’s learning may be impaired in endemic countries.
Malaria in pregnancy causes low birth weight and stillbirths. Low birth weight is also associated with poor learning and greater ill health later in life. These in turn increase poverty in the next generation.
Workers suffering from malaria can be incapacitated for 5 to 20 days. Food resources may be compromised: malaria afflicted families on average can only harvest 40% of the crops harvested by healthy families.
INTERNATIONAL ACTION AND CO-OPERATION
The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the movement to Roll Back Malaria in 1998. It is committed to halving the world’s malaria burden by the year 2010.
The first meeting of African political leaders to discuss the human and economic consequences of malaria in Africa took place on 24 and 25 April 2000. Delegates at the Abuja Summit unanimously adopted the Abuja Declaration and Plan of Action. This attracted widespread international political support. Heads of development agencies pledged US $750 million in new money and discussed concrete action over the next decade.
Since then 4 countries – Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia - have completed a situational analysis and cross-governmental plan of action for tackling malaria. Other countries are soon to complete theirs. Already a shortfall between the resources that are needed and those that have been committed is apparent.
Actions needed to roll back malaria include:
* Rapid diagnosis and treatment;
* Multiple prevention with insecticide treated mosquito nets and environmental mosquito control;
* Focussed research to develop new medicines, vaccines and insecticides;
* Strengthened health services, policies and technical support;
* Harmonised actions to build a dynamic global movement.
ACTION IN EUROPE
The UK Department for International Development has been a key donor to the Roll Back Malaria campaign and should be acknowledged for this.
The Commission of the European Communities recently published a Programme for Action: Accelerated action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in the context of poverty reduction. This promotes research into new drugs, the reduction of tariffs and taxes on drugs and the use of pricing regimes that will make drugs more accessible to poor communities.
BEDNETS URGENTLY NEEDED
Two principal objectives of Africa Malaria Day are:
* To encourage wider action to tackle malaria;
* To increase more innovative ways of getting more affordable insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs) into African communities and encourage more African households to invest in ITNs.
Malaria is yet another preventable and curable disease that has historically been inadequately addressed, with dire results for people, communities and countries. We must support the African countries in their efforts to control malaria now. We ask that effective strategies are developed and adequate funding is guaranteed to ensure that insecticide treated bednets are available to all African households as a first step in controlling malaria.
The action and background sheets use material from the WHO and European Commission.
Further information is available on-line at www.who.org and mosquito.who.int
RESULTS, 13 Dormer Place, Leamington Spa, CV32 5AA.
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