The RBM Partnership to End Malaria, an initiative backed by the United Nations, has issued an urgent plea for governments and stakeholders to ramp up funding in the fight against malaria.
According to The PUNCH, the CEO of the RBM Partnership, Dr. Adekunle Charles,made this statement on Friday, emphasizing the dire consequences of stagnating financial support.
This call to action follows alarming new projections from the Malaria Atlas Project, which suggest a looming crisis in malaria management.
The projections indicate that if funding levels remain unchanged, the world could see an alarming increase of 112 million malaria cases and potentially 280,700 additional deaths over the next three years, particularly as outbreaks surge across Africa.
“The evidence is clear that there is a significant risk of malaria epidemics if funding isn’t increased and high-burden areas are unable to deliver critical malaria prevention services,” Charles warned.
He highlighted the unique challenges faced by lower-income countries, especially in Africa, where the majority of malaria cases are concentrated, noting, “Unlike HIV and Tuberculosis, malaria is concentrated in lower-income countries, particularly across Africa, so often these countries have the least ability to afford the fight.”
Charles pointed to the complexities surrounding the allocation of funds from the Global Fund Replenishment, noting the urgent needs across all three major diseases.
However, he firmly asserted, “But malaria must receive an increase in its funding from the Global Fund if we are to avoid a wide-scale resurgence. If this doesn’t happen, we can expect cases to spike and increased mortality.”
The impact of a funding shortfall would disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly women and young children, who are already the hardest hit by the disease.
“We already know this will impact women and young children hardest, as they are disproportionately affected by the disease. It will also push more people into poverty and overwhelm already fragile health systems, with economic consequences that will ripple across the world,” he cautioned.
This urgent discussion was echoed during a recent meeting organized by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, titled :Confronting the Malaria Perfect Storm’.
The meeting featured a stark warning from Guinea-Bissau’s President, Umaro Embaló, who emphasized that without adequate resources from the Global Fund, the situation regarding malaria cases and deaths in Africa could deteriorate significantly.
He urged leaders to recognize the critical need for sustained funding to combat this preventable disease effectively.
