Global Fund spends $4.1b to save 830,000 lives from malaria since 2002
The Global Fund, an international financing institution dedicated to preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria, says it has invested $4.1 billion since 2002 to fight malaria, and helped to save 830,000 lives by the end of 2010.
According to The Global Fund, it saved lives through a dramatic increase in use of insecticide-treated nets and effective anti-malaria drugs in countries where the disease is endemic.
“By mid-2011 results from programmes that receive Global Fund support showed that 190 million insecticide-treated bed nets had been distributed to protect families from malaria. Of these, 70 million bed nets were distributed in the twelve months to the end of June, 2011 – Assuming a bed net protects two people, the additional bed nets enabled an estimated 140 million more people to protect themselves against malaria,” said Global Fund in a press release October 19, 2011.
The public-private partnership fund said investments have also played a critical role in expanding coverage of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in countries where the malaria parasite is now resistant to older drugs.
As well as the substantial expansion in coverage of bed nets to prevent malaria, the Fund noted that there has been a big increase in the number of people protected by indoor residual spraying of insecticides. “Some 36 million indoor residual spraying services were provided, a 31% increase from a year ago.”
It discloses that an additional $2.18 billion in financing for malaria has been approved but not yet disbursed.
The Global Fund stresses that progress in controlling malaria is prompting a growing number of countries to set their sights on eliminating a disease which still causes an estimated 780,000 deaths annually.
Citing a new report released by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, prior to the opening of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Malaria Forum in Seattle, The Global Fund said the report identified “7 countries that have recently eliminated malaria and another 10 countries monitoring transmission with a view to arrive at zero malaria cases – A further 9 countries out of a total of 108 malaria-endemic countries and territories are also getting ready to move towards nationwide elimination of malaria.”
The Global Fund accounts for two-thirds of all international funding for the fight against malaria.
Since its creation in 2002, it has become the main financier of programmes to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, with approved funding of $22.4 billion for more than 600 programmes in 150 countries.
By Ekow Quandzie