TOP UN OFFICIALS REVIEW MALARIA CONTROL EFFORTS IN UGANDA

Two senior United Nations officials are currently in Uganda to review the country's progress in controlling malaria, which every year kills an estimated 1 million people, most of them children in Africa.

The Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria, Ray Chambers, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/en/">WHO), Margaret Chan, are also hoping to gain a better understanding of the remaining challenges in tackling the disease.

The two officials arrived in Uganda from Tanzania, where they met on Monday with President Jakaya Kikwete.

In addition to Government leaders, Mr. Chambers and Dr. Chan are also holding talks with local <"http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/index.html">malaria experts and visiting urban and rural health centres focused on fighting the disease. They are joined on the trip by the President of the Global Health Programme at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"Their long-term objective is to end malaria deaths," UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York. "That can be achieved by meeting the Secretary-General's goal of providing all endemic African countries with malaria control interventions by the end of 2010."

Last September government, business and civil society leaders launched a global campaign to reduce malaria deaths to near zero by 2015, with an initial commitment of nearly $3 billion.

The Global Malaria Action Plan aims to cuts deaths and illness by 2010 to half their 2000 levels by scaling up access to insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying and treatment, and achieve the near-zero goal through sustained universal coverage. Ultimately it seeks to eradicate the disease completely with new tools and strategies.

Halting the incidence of malaria is one of the many health-related targets that make up the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the pledges world leaders made to try to slash poverty, hunger, preventable illness and a host of other socio-economic ills by 2015.

UN-BACKED FUND REACHES OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE WITH AIDS TREATMENT

More than 2 million people living with HIV have been reached with life-saving treatment thanks to the United Nations-backed Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, marking a 30 per cent jump from last year.

Results released today show that on top of the 2.3 million people receiving anti-retroviral medicines for AIDS, Global Fund-backed schemes have also provided 5.4 million people with effective treatment for TB, the leading cause of death among HIV-infected people.

Further, the Fund reported success in the fight against malaria, with 88 million insecticide-treated bednets delivered to families, up from 59 million nets last year.

"In less than eight years, the Global Fund has gone from a concept to a driver of change," said Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine. "When we first began our work in 2002, few people in developing countries were being treated for AIDS or tuberculosis. Malaria was a neglected disease. Many countries simply did not have the resources to fight these diseases effectively."

But now, "the story is changing dramatically," he said, adding that while greater efforts are needed, "real progress" against the diseases has been made.

The information released today combined data from Global Fund-supported initiatives in 140 countries, and showed, among other things, that nearly 80 million people have been reached by HIV counselling and testing, almost 4 million AIDS orphans and vulnerable children have been provided with basic care and support, and 1.4 billion condoms have been distributed worldwide.
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UN-BACKED INITIATIVE WILL GET POWERFUL MALARIA DRUGS TO THE POOR

Anti-malaria drugs much more powerful than previous versions will be put within reach of millions more people in Africa and Asia due to an initiative launched today by the
United Nations-backed fund that fights major epidemics.

"There is no reason any child should die of malaria anymore," said Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which is managing the new $225 million partnership to reduce the price of the drugs.

"We have insecticide-impregnated bed nets to protect families from mosquitoes and effective drugs to treat those who do fall ill. Now we only need to ensure that all who need these things get them," he added

The combination of bed nets and drugs that cure malaria quickly has reduced malaria deaths by between 50 per cent and 90 per cent in areas where both are widely available, according to the Fund.

Malaria is a potentially deadly disease that is transmitted through mosquito bites and kills more than 2,000 children every day. Children make up nearly 90 per cent of the nearly 1 million people who die from malaria every year, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.

The new drugs, known as "artemisinin combination therapies" or ACTs, are currently 10 - 40 times more expensive when sold over the counter than the old drugs which have lost their effectiveness because the malaria parasite has developed resistance to them.

As a result of the high cost, many still buy these cheaper less effective drugs and currently, only one in every five patients treated for malaria has access to ACTs, the Fund said.

The new initiative, known as the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria, will reduce the price of effective malaria drugs so they can drive older, ineffective drugs out of the market.

The initiative was developed through Roll-Back Malaria – a broad partnership of public and private institutions that includes the Global Fund along with the World Bank, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Dutch Government, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Foundation.

The initial costs of $225-233 million for medicines in the first two years will be shared by the Government of the United Kingdom and UNITAID, an international mechanism to finance quality-assured medicines and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, created by France and supported by Norway and 26 other nations.

Several other organizations and Governments have indicated willingness to contribute additional funding to the initiative, the Fund said.

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UN-BACKED FUND NEEDS ADDITIONAL $4 BILLION TO FUND AIDS, TB AND MALARIA EFFORTS

The question of how to fill an estimated $4 billion funding gap in the United Nations-backed initiative that helps countries fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria needs to be urgently addressed, donors at a meeting in the Spanish city of Cáceres stressed today, as they wrapped up a review of resource needs.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria – which helps finance national AIDS programmes – estimates that donor funding for the period 2008-2010 stands at $9.5 billion, $4 billion short of the expected demand of at least $13.5 billion.

"In view of the funding gap and the impact of a global economic crisis on the developing world, the Global Fund looks forward to how leaders of G-20 [Group of 20 most industrialized] countries address this situation at their summit in London on 2 April," said Michel Kazatchkine, the Global Fund's Executive Director.

He added that the Group of Eight (G-8) leaders will also address the same challenge when they meet in La Maddalena, Italy, in July.

Delegates gathered in Spain for the two-day Mid-Term Review meeting of the Global Fund's Second Voluntary Replenishment process said much of the additional resources needed by the Fund would have to come from donors who have committed to increasing their official development assistance (ODA) budgets in order to meet development financing targets set at a international conference in Monterrey in 2002.

The participants, representing 28 donor countries and foundations, also called on the Global Fund to step up efforts to seek new government donors and attract more private sector contributions, according to a news release issued by the Fund.

Several donors indicated that they would soon consider making additional contributions in response to the success achieved by Global Fund programmes. The last two years have seen reductions in mortality in a number of countries for AIDS and malaria, and a continued fall in global TB prevalence that was first noted in 2004.

"We are now affecting the course of these three epidemics. In the case of malaria, in particular, we are on a trajectory to achieve universal access to bed nets by 2011 and have reason to be hopeful the Millennium Development Goal for malaria can actually be reached," said Mr. Kazatchkine, referring to one of several development targets set by world leaders in 2000.

He added that steps were being taken to ensure efficiency gains in the Fund's grants and in the Secretariat in areas such as travel, telecommunications and corporate procurement of goods and services.
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TOP UN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR FULLY FUNDING FIGHT AGAINST AIDS, TB AND MALARIA

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria must be fully funded if countries are to achieve the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with coordinating the AIDS response has stressed.

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), told donors and partners gathered in the Spanish city of Cáceres for the Mid-Term Review meeting of the Global Fund's Second Voluntary Replenishment process that many countries rely on Fund to finance their national AIDS programmes.

"Countries need predictable financing so that they can focus their efforts on achieving their universal access goals. That is why the Global Fund must be fully funded," he told the meeting, which concludes tomorrow.

The Fund says that donor funding for the period 2008-2010 stands at $9.5 billion – $4 billion short of the expected demand of at least $13.5 billion.

Despite the current global economic downturn, Mr. Sidibé stressed the necessity of investing in delivering HIV services to the millions of people worldwide who are in need.

"We cannot let the economic crisis paralyze us. Stimulus packages and economic adjustments should be made with a human face in mind. A mother should not have to choose between continuing AIDS treatment and feeding her children. We cannot let down the 4 million people on treatment and millions more in need today," he stated.

In a video message to the meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for continued support to the Global Fund, which was established in 2002 by the international community to ensure sufficient funding to combat three deadly diseases.

"The Global Fund is helping countries to set ambitious targets. It is helping them to achieve concrete results. And it is giving affected populations a real voice in programmes and policies that affect them. I urge you to ensure it is fully funded," he said.

The Fund's voluntary replenishment process was established in 2004 to ensure predictable and sustainable funding, and offers an important forum for donors to exchange views and expectations and to enable them to better plan their financial commitments.
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BAN CALLS FUNDING GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS, TB, MALARIA ‘SMART INVESTMENT’

In this time of economic turmoil, putting money behind the fight against the AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics is a "smart investment," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, as he urged donors to fund United Nations-backed efforts to stop the spread of the deadly diseases.

"Across Africa, AIDS threatens to reduce GDP [gross domestic product] by up to 2.6 per cent," warned Mr. Ban in a video message to the mid-term review meeting of the second voluntary replenishment process of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Mr. Ban noted that since 2001 the Global Fund has committed over $10 billion to health programmes in 140 countries, "helping to keep parents, workers and teachers alive and productive."

Programmes supported by the Fund have helped delay the onset of AIDS in 2 million HIV-positive people, detected and treated 4.6 million cases of TB, delivered 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets and administered 74 million malaria drug treatments.

"It has been a success. The Global Fund has saved millions of lives. It is important that we replenish it," Mr. Ban told the meeting in Cacares, Spain.

Pointing to the $4 billion the Global Fund needs to meet its 2010 targets, Mr. Ban said, "I say to you that spending on AIDS, TB and malaria is a smart investment. It is a true recovery package."

According to the Secretary-General, TB costs the world's poorest communities $16 billion a year, whereas containing it will only cost $4.2 billion a year. Similarly, malaria costs Africa $12 billion a year when just $3.4 billion dollars will pay for prevention and treatment.

Mr. Ban called on the international community to honour their commitments made at the Group of Eight (G-8) Gleneagles Summit in 2005 to fully fund all credible plans.
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MALARIA CONTROL MEASURES MAKING ADVANCES IN FIGHT AGAINST DEADLY DISEASE – UN REPORT

MALARIA CONTROL MEASURES MAKING ADVANCES IN FIGHT AGAINST DEADLY DISEASE – UN REPORT
New York, Feb 27 2009 1:00PM

Although progress has been made towards reducing malaria deaths, currently around 1 million a year, to near zero by the end of 2015, the international community needs to intensify its efforts to reach the goal, stressed a new United Nations report published today.

The report noted that over 40 per cent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa now has access to long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets (LLINs), compared to 10 per cent in 2005.

The figures indicate a considerable leap in the number of people benefiting from the protective cover of the nets in the continent, which accounts for over 90 per cent of all malaria deaths.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's target of providing universal malaria control coverage by the end of 2010 to all endemic African countries is within sight, according to the report, with the distribution to date of more than 140 million mosquito nets, protecting nearly 300 million people in the region.

"At this moment, we can point to definite indicators of progress, with data revealing that LLINs now have been distributed to more than 40 per cent of the population in endemic African nations," said Ray Chambers, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria.

"This signifies perhaps the most encouraging development in a year that featured many noteworthy accomplishments," added Mr. Chambers, in a press release announcing the launch of the report.

Mr. Chambers' report noted that in 2008 the African Union Summit strengthened its commitment to malaria control and malaria-endemic countries, and submitted an aggressive set of proposals to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which responded with a record $1.57 billion donation.

The report, which also underscores last year's announcement that the world can reach near-zero deaths from malaria by 2015, stressed that while malaria-related objectives are within sight, a failure to increase momentum will result in falling short of objectives.

"At this unique moment in history, when dedicated leadership, proven interventions, available resources and collective will have converged to turn the tide against this scourge, we cannot permit complacency to dull our resolve," warned Mr. Chambers.

He emphasized that the international community needs to exert the "same thought and energy that guided LLINs in 2008" to support other essential interventions, such as treatment in public health facilities, the provision of rapid diagnostic tests and the production of an adequate number of anti-malarial medicines, in particular artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).
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DRUG RESISTANCE THREATENS GLOBAL PROGRESS TO CONTROL MALARIA, WARNS UN AGENCY

DRUG RESISTANCE THREATENS GLOBAL PROGRESS TO CONTROL MALARIA, WARNS UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 25 2009 10:00AM

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the emergence of a drug-resistant form of malaria in South-East Asia could seriously undermine global successes in controlling the disease.

According to a news release issued by the Geneva-based agency, there is new evidence of parasites resistant to artemisinin – the main drug used to treat the disease – along the border between Cambodia and Thailand where workers walk for miles every day to clear forests.

"If we do not put a stop to the drug-resistant malaria situation that has been documented in the Thai-Cambodia border, it could spread rapidly to neighbouring countries and threaten our efforts to control this deadly disease," said Dr. Hiroki Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General.

The WHO notes that huge strides have been made in the last ten years to reduce the burden of malaria, which is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes and is one of the world's major killer diseases.

Artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs, have proven to be a major breakthrough in treating malaria, succeeding in more than 90 per cent of cases, the agency stated. However, malaria drug resistance now emerging along the Thai-Cambodia border threatens these gains.

Supported by a $22.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO will aim to contain artemisinin resistant malaria parasites before they spread, working in collaboration with key partners.

"We know that malaria can be treated and prevented," said Dr. Regina Rabinovich, Director of Infectious Diseases Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "and if we lose the key treatment available at this time, it's like living in a house with a half a roof."

Malaria poses a risk to half of the world's population and more than one million people die of the disease each year. Obstacles to controlling the disease include drug resistance in the parasite that causes the disease, as well as resistance of the vector mosquito to insecticides, environmental factors and counterfeit medicines.

According to WHO, there are no effective alternatives to artemisinins for the treatment of malaria either on the market or nearing the end of the drug development process.
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