$3 billion announced for global malaria action plan to eradicate malaria by 2015

Government leaders, philanthropists, international organizations, not-for-profit groups and corporations on Thursday announced a combined $3 billion in contributions to implement the Global Malaria Action Plan -- aimed at eradicating malaria worldwide by 2015 -- during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals in New York, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The GMAP aims to prevent 4.2 million deaths from malaria by 2015 by providing an array of interventions, including insecticide-treated nets, indoor insecticide spraying and effective malaria drugs (Guth, Wall Street Journal, 9/26). The GMAP has been signed by 65 groups worldwide, the Seattle Times reports (Heim/Doughton, Seattle Times, 9/25).

Funds to implement the GMAP include: $1.62 billion from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, $1.1 billion from the World Bank, $168.7 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for malaria vaccine development, $73.3 million from Britain's Department for International Development for malaria drug price reductions, and $2 million from the U.N. High Commission for Refugees and the U.N. Foundation to provide ITNs in African refugee camps (Wall Street Journal, 9/26). In addition, a coalition of corporations will contribute $100 million towards the GMAP, including $28 million from Marathon Oil to expand its malaria control program in Equatorial Guinea.

In addition, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged approximately $83 million from the British government towards malaria eradication efforts, and Henrietta Fore, USAID administrator, announced that the U.S. has approved $5 billion over five years to fight the disease (Rucker, Washington Post, 9/26). The GMAP estimates that malaria eradication efforts will require $5.3 billion in 2009, $6.2 billion in 2010 and $5.1 billion annually between 2011 and 2020.

The majority of the total funding will be directed toward Africa, where experts estimate that $3 billion is needed to supply the population at risk of malaria with ITNs, insecticides and malaria treatment. Malaria No More estimates that 300 million ITNs are necessary to protect at-risk populations in Africa by 2010; however, only 50 million ITNs have been delivered and 150 million more ITNs have been paid for but not delivered (Wall Street Journal, 9/26). The World Bank will direct most of its funding towards the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, where 30% to 40% of malaria deaths occur (Boseley, Guardian, 9/26).

The Gates Foundation's $168.7 million contribution for malaria vaccine development was one of the largest commitments from a nongovernmental organization toward the effort, the New York Times reports (MacFarquhar, New York Times, 9/26). The funding will go to PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative, which is working with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals to put the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate through final trials. The vaccine candidate -- which is being tested on 16,000 infants ages five months to 17 months -- so far has reduced malaria cases by 30% and severe malaria cases among children by 50%. According to Christian Loucq, director of MVI, the new vaccine could be available by 2013 if approved by the European licensing authority and the World Health Organization (Guardian, 9/26). Two other vaccine candidates will begin human trials soon, and MVI also plans to work on developing a "dual-purpose" vaccine that would protect people from malaria and also halt the transmission cycle in mosquitoes. The new grant brings the total funding from the Gates Foundation for MVI to more than $400 million (Seattle Times, 9/25).

Comments, Reaction

"To be able to say with conviction for the first time that all countries will be able to see an end to malaria deaths by 2015 is indeed a historic moment of great significance," Brown said. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, added, "This is what I call a billion-dollar moment for a century-old disease." U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told General Assembly members that the world is "getting closer to containing " malaria by using "path-breaking public-private coalition, solid science, better statistics and precise financing, with the coordination of the right countries and partners, and above all with the leadership" (Washington Post, 9/26). Ban added that the level of global commitment "is all the more remarkable because it comes against the background of a global crisis" (New York Times, 9/26). World Bank President Robert Zoellick called the recent progress in malaria efforts "a fascinating example of how you can focus on a problem." Helene Gayle, president of CARE, added that although malaria was "on the back burner for so long," the recent success of efforts to curb the disease "really does galvanize the movement" (Washington Post, 9/26).

Bill Gates said that he is "very hopeful" that the RTS,S vaccine candidate will be effective, adding, "but that will just be the first step. Now it's time to develop a new generation of vaccines that are even more effective and could someday eradicate malaria altogether" (Wroughton, Reuters, 9/25). PATH CEO Chris Elias said his organization is "excited" about the Gates Foundation grant, which "makes [malaria] eradication ultimately feasible." The funding will help MVI test new vaccine candidates and improve vaccine potency, Loucq said, adding that developing an effective vaccine "will take time, but we have the science and we have the projects to make it happen" (Seattle Times, 9/25).

According to the New York Times, critics of the MDGs at the meeting expressed concern that the targets emphasize fundraising over improving aid efficiency (New York Times, 9/26). Richard Feachem, the first executive director of the Global Fund, added that the "biggest challenge" in malaria eradication efforts is "loss of focus and fatigue." U.N. special envoy for malaria Ray Chambers said, "The bulk of the work is still ahead of us," adding that if the MDG targets are met by 2015, child mortality in Africa could decline by 20% and maternal mortality could decline by 10% (Wall Street Journal, 9/26).

Jeffrey Sachs, an economist and poverty advocate, stressed that governments must sustain progress and fulfill their commitments to malaria eradication. "Take no shortcuts between now and 2015," he cautioned, adding, "It's the shortcuts that kill the children" (Washington Post, 9/26) Kent Campbell, PATH malaria expert, said that the GMAP goals are "ambitious" and that more funds and sustained leadership will be necessary to meet the targets. "The onus is on the malaria community to see if we can make that happen," he said (Seattle Times, 9/25).

A webcast of the 2008 MDG Malaria Summit is available online.

BBC News on Thursday reported on the malaria summit and GMAP. The segment includes comments from Irish musician Bono, Brown and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete (Alexander, BBC News, 9/25).