World Bank Launches Phase II of Malaria Booster Program

News Release No. 2008/163/AFR

Contacts
Carol Hooks: chooks@worldbank.org
+1 202 458 9346 in Washington,
+234 (0) 705 612 2700 in Abuja
Obadiah Tohomdet in Nigeria: otohomdet@worldbank.org

Abuja, Nigeria, December 4, 2008:  The World Bank launched Phase II of its Malaria Booster Program in Abuja today, in a joint effort with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health. Building on prior successes, the World Bank is committing US$1.1 billion to expand country programs to combat malaria.

World Bank Group President, Robert B. Zoellick, said the new financial commitment would help African countries over the next three years to expand their malaria prevention, care, and treatment programs and to sharply reduce the number of malaria-related deaths and illness that afflict their communities each year. 

“Malaria is a crushing development burden for poor people and developing countries which the World Bank is committed to fighting for as long as it takes to get it under control,” said Zoellick. “Malaria preys on the poor and keeps them poor. Poverty prevents people from buying bed-nets to prevent malaria and medicine to cure it.  When people are struck by the disease, parents miss work; children miss school; and malaria emergencies plunge families into debt from which they can't recover.”

Speaking today at a press conference alongside the Ministers of Health of Benin and Nigeria, a World Bank Vice President and Country Director, leaders from the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the Global Fund, as well as Ray Chambers, United Nations Special Envoy for Malaria, welcomed the new commitment from the World Bank and said Phase II of the Booster Program will have a major impact in Africa’s malaria-endemic countries.

“Today’s launch of Phase II of the World Bank’s Booster Program is a major step toward ending deaths from malaria, especially in high-burden countries in Africa. The United Nations has called for universal coverage for the prevention and treatment of malaria by 2010 and the World Bank’s Booster Program takes us a step closer to that goal,” Chambers said. “The Secretary General and I applaud the Bank’s expanded efforts and its determination to support African countries as they combat this killer disease. Now it is up to the countries themselves to prioritize malaria as a vital health and development issue.”

Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region, said the Booster Program would redouble its effort and work to support health systems as they prevent and treat malaria.

“Through efforts of the World Bank and our partners over the last few years, we are beginning to reduce malaria deaths in some countries. Phase II of the Booster Program aims to save more lives, improve health systems and help countries work together to stop the spread of this disease,” said Ezekwesili.

In response to requests from donors and other partners, the World Bank has taken on a substantial role in supporting National Malaria Control Programs in coordinating efforts to fight malaria in two of the highest-burden countries in Africa: the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. These countries account for 30 to 40 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide. Phase II of the Malaria Booster Program will work to expand bed net distribution, provide treatment to the rural poor and improve health systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and other countries.

"When formidable partners like the World Bank, the Global Fund, and the United Nations work together closely with countries such as Nigeria and DR Congo, their collective efforts will contribute enormously to the realization of the Global Malaria Action Plan." said Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. "Universal coverage with malaria control interventions is the first step, then elimination and eventual eradication is our collective goal."

Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the Global Fund Board, agreed on the importance of global partnerships in the fight against malaria.

“We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the Bank to end malaria as a threat to public health and economic growth, and will seek to implement a joint program of action to this end,” said Gupta. “Together our institutions can enable African countries not only to achieve dramatic gains against this disease, but also to strengthen the underlying health system to sustain the gains made.”

Hassan Lawal, Minister of Health of Nigeria, summed up steps his country is taking to meet the universal coverage target and end malaria’s very negative impact on his country.

“We are expanding our scope of covering not only the vulnerable but total population at risk. The recently concluded GMAP offers a detailed framework for an ongoing fight against malaria. In line with this development we have updated the country’s strategic plan and developed a new Business Plan which will deliver more commodities and ensure all population at risk are covered between 2010 and 2015. This will lead to achieving the MDGs and subsequently elimination of malaria.”

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, summed up the need for Phase II of the World Bank Booster Program.

“Malaria control is one of the great economic investments of our age. Malaria control saves lives by the million, promotes children’s health and school achievements, and enables impoverished economies to attract new businesses and to flourish. The World Bank’s Booster Program is a vital component of the global partnership to fight malaria in Africa, and it will prove to be one of the Bank’s great contributions to Africa’s wellbeing and economic development.”