Last week in New York, heads of state, leaders in global health, and philanthropists came together for a purpose many thought would be virtually impossible -- to ensure full global coverage of malaria interventions by 2010 and achieve a near-zero mortality rate from malaria by 2015.
The 2008 Millennium Development Goals Malaria Summit was the venue where more than $3 billion was committed for malaria programs worldwide. The largest announcement came from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has submitted to its Board of Directors for approval $1.62 billion for malaria-specific funding. If approved, this will represent (by far) the biggest request for malaria financing to date. This much-needed financing would purchase 100 million bed nets -- in addition to effective malaria medicines -- over the next two years, significantly advancing the goal of universal bed net coverage by 2010.
The event, which was hosted by the Secretary General's Special Envoy on Malaria, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Malaria No More and the UK Department for International Development, also announced the release of a Global Malaria Action Plan by Roll Back Malaria with the broad support of the malaria community. This plan represents a comprehensive outline for global malaria control and demonstrates that, if we are able to provide for full bed net coverage by 2010, it will be possible to save millions of lives. The plan also lays the foundation for a long-term effort to eliminate malaria.
Between the Global Fund's proposed financing and the Action Plan laid out last week, malaria elimination has now in fact become possible in our lifetimes. Malaria, when left untreated, is life-threatening. Transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, it causes fever, headache and vomiting. It can rapidly lead to death because it disrupts the blood supply to vital organs. Nearly one million people die of malaria each year, the vast majority of them children under the age of five in Africa. This means one African child dies every 30 seconds from a preventable and curable disease. The disease also costs African countries an estimated $12 billion in lost economic productivity each year.
Since 2002, the Global Fund has been committed to helping countries fight this deadly disease, and currently funds two-thirds of all malaria programs internationally. Already the Global Fund has committed $3.7 billion to malaria through 146 grants in 78 countries around the world, financing 60 million malaria treatments and 59 million insecticide-treated nets to protect families from malaria. As Rwandan President Paul Kagame pointed out at the Summit last week, success is visible on the ground; there has been a 66% decline in child deaths from malaria in Rwanda, a decline due in part to Global Fund financed programs that distributed more than 2.4 million insecticide-treated nets and rolled out ACTs nationally.
The same day these malaria announcements took place, Democratic Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama said that as President he would echo the call made by those at the MDG Summit. Republican nominee Senator John McCain has supported the cause as well. Their support underscores the fact that malaria is not just an issue for the developing world, but an issue that the U.S. government sees as an important part of its overall foreign aid agenda.
While there are still challenges ahead, last week's commitments prove that with leadership and commitment, a disease that has been cutting lives short for centuries can finally be put to an end. The U.S. plays a critical role in this fight, especially through its support of the Global Fund. We must continue to put significant resources behind these successful and indispensable programs. Together, we can make the goal of elimination a reality -- and that truly will be historic.