24.04.2012
April 25 - World Malaria Day 2012: "Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria"
The theme for World Malaria Day 2012 - "Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria" - marks a decisive juncture in the history of malaria control. Whether the malaria map will keep shrinking, as it has in the past decade, or be reclaimed by the malaria parasites, depends, to a great extent, on the resources that will be invested in control efforts over the next years. Swiss TPH contributes to these efforts in many ways, from diagnostics and drug development to vaccine trials and the large-scale implementation of methods for malaria prevention, for example the National Insecticides Treated Nets Programme (NATNETS) in Tanzania. In addition, the Swiss TPH acts as Local Funding Agent (LFA) for the Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and Malaria in 19 countries.
Investments in malaria control have created unprecedented momentum and yielded remarkable returns in the past years. In Africa, malaria deaths have been cut by one third within the last decade. Outside of Africa, 35 out of the 53 countries affected by malaria, have reduced cases by 50% during the same time period. In countries where access to malaria control interventions has improved most significantly, overall child mortality rates have fallen by over 20%.
However, these gains are fragile and will be reversed unless malaria continues to be a priority for global, regional and national decision-makers and donors. Despite the current economic climate, development aid needs to continue flowing to national malaria control programs to ensure widespread population access to life-saving and cost-effective interventions. Long-term success will also depend on investments in on-going research and development to combat emerging threats such as parasite and insecticide resistance.
Sustaining malaria control efforts is an investment in development. Continued investment in malaria control now will propel malaria-endemic countries along the path to achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, especially those relating to improving child survival and maternal health, eradicating extreme poverty and expanding access to education.
World Malaria Day website:
http://www.worldmalariaday.org/home_en.cfm
Swiss TPH is co-organizer of the conference “Challenges in Malaria Research: Progress Towards Elimination” taking place in Basel, Switzerland from 10-12 October 2012.
More information: http://www.challenges-in-malaria-research.com
World Malaria Day Priority Messages (PDF)