U.N. Calls for increased collaboration, funding to fight malaria ahead of World Malaria Day on Wednesday

Speaking at a press conference at U.N. Headquarters ahead of World Malaria Day, observed Wednesday, a U.N. envoy on Monday called for "[a]n increase in collaboration and partnerships among donor and recipient countries ... to boost efforts to prevent and treat malaria, ... while also calling for an increase in funding to combat the deadly disease," the U.N. News Centre reports. The U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria Ray Chambers "said that although malaria deaths have declined significantly in recent years, there is still much to be done to reach the target of zero deaths by 2015, and countries would need to increase their coordination in addressing the issue," the news service notes (4/23).

"Chambers said that in the last six years, the campaign to fight malaria has raised over $6 billion," according to the Associated Press/Washington Post (4/23). But "WHO urged health and other sectors of society to invest more in malaria control to ensure that recent achievements in controlling this disease are sustained," the Indo-Asian News Service/Zee News writes (4/23). In a statement marking the day, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "On this World Malaria Day, let us collectively pledge to close the $3.2 billion funding gap to achieve and maintain universal coverage in Africa up to 2015 -- and ultimately to reach our goal of defeating this disease" (4/24). According to the U.N. News Centre, Chambers "add[ed] that funding is needed to renew bednets, which generally wear out after three years, as well as to make medication and rapid diagnosis available to the population" (4/23).