Abuja, Nigeria, December 4, 2008 – Today in Abuja, World Bank representatives, Ministers of Health from Nigeria and Benin and partners from Roll Back Malaria, the Global Fund and the United Nations announced a $1.1 billion expansion of the Bank’s fight against malaria in Africa.
The announcement kicks off the second phase of the Bank’s flagship program to eradicate the disease: the Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa. Phase I of the program committed more than $465 million to 19 countries in three years.
Saving lives and saving money The World Health Organization Global Malaria Report released in September 2008, estimates up to 327 million cases of the disease in 2006, nearly one million of which were fatalities. The vast majority of those deaths were children in Sub-Saharan Africa, making malaria the biggest single killer of Africa’s youngest citizens.
Malaria costs Africa an estimated $12 billion in lost GDP every year. And while some countries in Africa are experiencing five percent annual economic growth, expansion could be 1.3 percent higher without the burden of malaria. The Bank’s mission to fight poverty demands that we help our clients remove this disease as a hindrance to their development.
Major reductions in malaria deaths and illness are possible within the next five to seven years if the international community reduces costs and spends wisely. A new Global Malaria Action Plan, launched at a high-level meeting of world leaders at United Nations headquarters also in September, estimates that an annual investment of $3 billion for the next several years will eliminate malaria as a public health problem in Africa and pave the way for malaria’s eradication. In addition, the Copenhagen Consensus, a prioritized list developed by top economists highlighting the potential of 30 specific solutions to combat some of the biggest challenges facing the world, estimates that for every dollar spent on effective prevention and treatment, $20 would be saved.
Booster Program Phase I highlights:
Massive bed net distribution campaigns in Benin, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Zambia.
Nets distributed as part of routine health services in Nigeria, Senegal and other countries.
Over 77,000 houses received indoor residual spraying in Eritrea.
“We’re on a path of fundamental breakthrough and transformation,” said Jeff Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. “The tools are powerful enough now to lead to a decisive break in deaths and we now have the potential for something we didn't even consider for so many decades. That is, to put an end to the massive avoidable death and heavy disease burden of malaria.”
Countries making strides Commitment to defeating malaria is showing results—both in increasing financial and political support and in a decreasing number of malaria cases and deaths. Countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zambia have documented their impressive successes. In Zambia, for example, 44 percent of households now have at least one insecticide-treated net (up from less than 5% in 2004) and 62% of pregnant women receive preventive treatment, tripling coverage since 2004. In Ethiopia, over 90% of households now own at least one bed net (up from less than 5% in 2003), and recent data suggest a sharp decline in malaria cases.“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 Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region.
Coordination and collaboration in target countries In Phase II, The World Bank has made a strategic priority of working in two of the hardest-hit countries in Africa – the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. These countries account for 30 to 40 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide. Both countries are undertaking massive bed net distribution campaigns, expanding treatment, and improving health systems so that the gains made through rapid control can be sustained.
In Nigeria, malaria accounts for:
60 % of outpatient department admissions30% of hospital admissions29 – 30% of deaths of children under five years old11% of deaths among pregnant women
15 – 25 missed work days per person per year
I n Nigeria, a country which has more than 100 million cases of malaria every year, and sees affected persons spending 18 percent of their income on treatment, leaders both at the national and local levels recognize that tackling malaria is a major health priority. Key state governors are pushing to end malaria’s hold on their constituents’ health and welfare. And in a December 4 meeting with the World Bank’s Ezekwesili, UN Special Envoy for Malaria Ray Chambers, and RBM Partnership Executive Director Awa Coll-Seck, Nigeria’s President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua said that Nigeria is totally committed to the eradication of malaria.
"This program is extremely important to us and we will work hard to ensure that the Roll Back Malaria program succeeds," President Yar’Adua said. He added that "if it works in Nigeria, you can be sure that the whole of Africa will benefit."Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the rest of Africa, along with their development partners have much more to do to with regard to malaria, but recent progress is encouraging. The convergence of global and national impetus will make a major difference in the lives of ordinary Africans. The key is planning, implementing, and problem-solving together—with the endemic countries in the lead.“We can’t achieve any of the ambitious global development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals more broadly, without tackling the disease in these places. As long as malaria remains a problem in these two countries, their neighbors’ efforts to control the disease will be limited and their hopes of eliminating malaria will be thwarted,” said World Bank President Robert Zoellick.Moving Forward in Reducing Malaria Deaths Malaria is both preventable and treatable. Major reductions in the deaths and illness it causes are possible within the next several years. Attacking the disease full-force with a front-loaded effort will have tremendous impact on health and economic outcomes. African nations and the global community are gearing up to meet the ambitious new goals. As one of the top three funders of malaria control, the World Bank is called upon to play a leadership role in this effort. Phase II of the Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa is the Bank’s affirmative and emphatic response to this call.
*** The Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa was launched in 2005 to reaffirm the Bank’s commitment to tackling one of Africa’s biggest health challenges. Phase II of the Booster Program launches officially December 4-5, 2008 in Abuja, Nigeria.
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