A United Nations-hosted entity, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, has called on governments and stakeholders to increase the funding against malaria to prevent a rising number of cases and deaths.
The Chief Executive Officer of RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Dr Adekunle Charles, made the call in a statement on Friday following a new modelling conducted by the Malaria Atlas Project.
The new models showed that if there is a flat-lining of malaria resources, the world could see an additional 112 million malaria cases and up to 280,700 additional deaths across three years with upsurges and outbreaks happening across Africa.
Charles said, “The evidence is clear that there is a significant risk of malaria epidemics if funding isn’t increased and high-burden areas are unable to deliver critical malaria prevention services. Unlike HIV and Tuberculosis, malaria is concentrated in lower-income countries, particularly across Africa, so often these countries have the least ability to afford the fight.
“Allocating the funds from the Global Fund Replenishment is complex, as of course all three diseases urgently need attention. But malaria must receive an increase in its funding from the Global Fund if we are to avoid a wide-scale resurgence. If this doesn’t happen, we can expect cases to spike and increased mortality.
“We already know this will impact women and young children hardest, as they are disproportionately affected by the disease. It will also push more people into poverty and overwhelm already fragile health systems, with economic consequences that will ripple across the world.”
At a meeting convened by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, themed, ‘Confronting the Malaria Perfect Storm,’ on Wednesday, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Embaló, also warned that malaria cases and deaths in Africa will be worse if the resources of the total Global Fund Replenishment is cut down and there is reduced funding against malaria.
