| The impact of malaria extends far beyond the realm of public health and exacts a broad toll on human and economic prosperity, making the disease central to the World Bank’s development agenda. The Progress Report on the Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa is a comprehensive summary of the successes and challenges of the first two years of the World Bank program. The Problem Malaria kills more than one million people every year – most of them children under age five and pregnant women.
Malaria kills nearly 3,000 children every day.
In total, malaria is estimated to cost Africa about US$12 billion annually in lost gross domestic product (GDP), slowing GDP growth by as much as 1.3 percent per year.
90 percent of malaria deaths worldwide occur in Africa.
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease – half of these deaths could be avoided.
The World Bank Approach: The Booster Program for Malaria Control in Africa
The World Bank aims to commit $500 million in International Development Association (IDA) funding by late 2008 – the end of Phase I.
The Booster Program achieves control of this devastating disease by delivering interventions and treatment strategies, while, at the same time, strengthening country health system infrastructure.
The World Bank is working with partner organizations to achieve a 75 percent reduction in malaria deaths between 2000 and 2015.
Accomplishments of the Booster Program on the Ground Already the World Bank has committed more than $430 million to Booster projects. This reflects a nine-fold increase in IDA funding for malaria control in Africa
A total of 15 Booster Program projects in 16 countries are Board-approved and two multi-donor trust funds in Sudan as well as two additional projects under preparation totaling nineteen projects in eighteen countries.
Board-approved projects include the multi-country Senegal River Basin Booster project as well as a US$180 million malaria control funding package for Nigeria which is currently the largest malaria control effort in the country.
By the end of 2007, the Booster Program will help distribute nearly 20 million long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and more than 15 million doses of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).
In total, more than 21 million LLINs and over 42 million doses of ACT will be distributed under projects in the Booster Program’s first phase ending in 2008.
Updated April 2008 Contacts:
Beldina Auma-Owuor: (202) 458-7307
baumaowuor@worldbank.org Phil Hay: (202) 473-1796
phay@worldbank.org |
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