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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action
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Africa: Malaria Update
Africa: Malaria Update
Date distributed (ymd): 000505
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains two documents from the Summit on Roll
Back Malaria in Africa, held in Abuja, Nigeria in April: the
statement by World Health Organization Director-General Dr.
Gro Harlem Brundtland, and a press release on a new study
estimating the economic damage caused by malaria to African
countries.
A related posting today contains excerpts from the CIA
National Intelligence Estimate (January 2000) which resulted
in the determination that HIV/AIDS is a national security
threat (also see article in The Washington Post, April 29,
2000).
Three recent books on the broader implications of African
health issues are now featured in APIC's Africa Web Bookshop:
Jim Yong Kim, Joyce Millen, Alec Irwin, and John Gershman,
Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the
Poor. ISBN:
1567511600. Common Courage Press, 2000.
Meredeth Turshen, Privatizing Health Services in Africa. ISBN:
0813525810. Rutgers University Press, 1999
Meredeth Turshen and Maureen Eke, African Women's Health.
ISBN:
086543820X. Africa World Press, 2000.
To order go to http://www.africapolicy.org/books/econ.htm
or simply click on the links in the web version of this
posting at http://www.africafocus.org/docs00/mal0005.php>
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For further information please contact Gregory Hartl, WHO
Press Spokesperson, WHO, Geneva, telephone: (+41 22) 791
4458, mobile + 41 79 293 6715, fax: (+41 22) 791 4858.
E-mail: hartlg@who.int. In the U.S., Jim Palmer at +1 202
262-9823. In the U.K., Janice Muir or Amanda Barnes at +44
171 407 3313. In Abuja, Nigeria, Andy Seale at +234 9 523
0225. In Lagos, Chuddy Odueni at +234 1 497 0128. In
Johannesburg, Kim Hudson at +27 11 480 8555.
All WHO press releases can be obtained on internet at
http://www.who.int
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland
Director-General
World Health Organization
Abuja, Nigeria 25 April 2000
Statement at the Summit on Roll Back Malaria in Africa
Honourable Mr President and heads of governments,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you, your Excellency, for this extra-ordinary initiative
- for bringing us together, to focus on health and
development.
Before I became Director General of WHO in 1998 Africa's
leaders told me that malaria undermines the development of
their people. I was asked, several times, why the suffering
and poverty caused by malaria was so often overlooked in
development dialogue. I resolved that WHO should do much more
to support Africa's efforts to control malaria.
Mr President
Professor Jeffrey Sachs has just presented to us his report on
the economic effects of malaria. As I listened to him, I was
struck by the enormity of the damage caused by this ancient
disease. A loss of economic growth of more than one percentage
point per year. A 20% reduction in GNP after 15 years. Short
term benefits from malaria control of up to $12 billion each
year. These are staggering numbers.
I conclude that Malaria is taking a big bite out of Africa's
economic growth. For every year that malaria is left
unchecked, it will cause African nations to fall further
behind the rest of the world. But malaria is not just an
African issue. Malaria and its economic impact threaten our
stability as a global community and threaten the future of our
increasingly global economy.
I do not accept a future with ever widening differences in the
growth of nations. Together we must fight for a future free
from the burdens of malaria
- If we can control malaria, we will see an acceleration of
Africa's development
- If malarious areas are free of the disease, family incomes
will rise
- If there is less malaria in homes, school attendance will
increase - sometimes dramatically.
At yesterday's technical meeting, Africa's scientists told us
of the tools needed to roll back this cause of suffering and
poverty, to banish this obstacle to economic growth.
- Insecticide treated nets in the home reduce transmission
and prevent infection.
- Indoor spraying with safe insecticides prevents infection.
- Treatment during pregnancy protects the mother's health and
improves birth weight.
- Rapid diagnosis and early treatment of someone with malaria
shorten the illness and reduce death rates.
These interventions appear simple. Ensuring their success is
not. To be effective they must reach all at risk.
In many countries malaria has been a fact of life and death
for so long that individuals, families, communities and
institutions tolerate its burden. Outspoken commitment, vision
and energy are essential to overcome this sense of fatalism
and resignation surrounding malaria.
Your excellencies:
I am delighted that you have come here today to turn the tide.
Over the last two years, your Governments have joined forces
with the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, the African
Development Bank, with development agencies, research groups,
non -governmental organisations and private corporations in
starting to build a powerful movement. This is the movement to
Roll Back Malaria. The spearhead for this movement is in
Africa.
In more than 20 countries, malaria is now being tackled
through all branches of government and with increasing
involvement of the private sector.
However, much more remains to be done.
Malaria needs a high profile throughout African society.
Everyone needs to realise the full impact of this disease, to
agree on the goals, and to know how they can be realised in
different settings.
We - the partners supporting the Roll Back Malaria Movement -
must continue to support applied research to identify and
apply the best anti-malaria therapies. This will help to
counter the development of drug resistance. We need to find
better ways to improve access to drugs, and to prevent
counterfeiting. We need to work together to review taxes and
tariffs on mosquito nets and other commodities. We need to
coordinate the many contributions -- financial and technical
-- of the Roll Back Malaria partners at country level. And,
most importantly, we need to monitor achievements.
We need to involve the parts of the private sector that can
help get goods and services to people. It has the distribution
networks, the communications skill and the marketing
resources. We would like private entities to be true partners
in the movement. Several are already involved in the Medicines
for Malaria venture.
In all this work, we count on you, the Heads of State and
Governments, to lead us, so that we work together effectively
in Rolling Back Malaria.
Mr President,
The turn of the century coincides with a remarkable shift in
thinking about human development. I sense a growing
realisation among decision-makers that to reduce poverty we
must improve health. Illness - particularly malaria - keeps
Africa's people and their nations poor. Bad health locks
people into poverty. Healthy populations have better school
attendance, higher incomes and more rapid economic
development.
I anticipate that today we will agree an approach on rolling
back malaria that also applies whether we are tackling
tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, maternal ill-health, tobacco-related
ill-health or other priority problems. It means:
- Information campaigns, to increase knowledge and
understanding and empower people to act to improve their
health
- Access to essential drugs, vaccines, and other commodities;
- Effective health services - close to the home; and
- A healthy environment - with clean water and sanitation
It certainly includes actions within communities, responsive
to the needs of poor people, supported by all sectors of
society.
We partners are working together to mobilise large increases
in resources for health, to reduce the prices of drugs and
commodities, to minimise tariffs and taxes on these goods, to
support the discovery and development of effective drugs and
vaccines, and to back-up effective action at country level..
These are all concrete and target-oriented actions. They bring
results.
Mr President:
Your vision has brought us here today, to focus on malaria.
But I am sure you would agree that poverty is our real enemy.
We now have an extraordinary window of opportunity.
We have Governments, international organizations, NGOs and the
private sector ready to work together to achieve agreed health
goals, and so contribute to prosperity.
We have a potential for dramatic increases in resources for
health.
That means, the number of malaria deaths can be halved within
ten years.
There will be further health gains. This summit will help us
move forward.
The impact will be extraordinary. Africa will have stronger
health systems, healthier populations and faster-growing
economies.
Thank you.
25 April 2000
Economic Costs of Malaria Are Many Times Higher than
Previously Estimated
Africa's GDP would be up to $100 billion greater this year if
malaria had been eliminated years ago, according tonew
research by Harvard, London School and WHO
Abuja, Nigeria -- The control of malaria in Africa would
significantly increase the continent's economic productivity
and the income of African families, according to the findings
of a new report released today by the World Health
Organization, Harvard University and the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
"The evidence strongly suggests that malaria obstructs overall
economic development in Africa," said Dr Jeffrey Sachs,
Director of the Center for International Development at
Harvard University. "Since 1990, the per person GDP in many
sub-Saharan African countries has declined, and malaria is an
important reason for this poor economic performance."
According to statistical estimates in the report, sub-Saharan
Africa's GDP would be up to 32% greater this year if malaria
had been eliminated 35 years ago. This would represent up to
$100 billion added to sub-Saharan Africa's current GDP of
$300 billion. This extra $100 billion would be, by
comparison, nearly five times greater than all development
aid provided to Africa last year.
According to the report, malaria slows economic growth in
Africa by up to 1.3% each year. This slowdown in economic
growth due to malaria is over and above the more readily
observed short run costs of the disease. Since sub-Saharan
Africa's GDP is around $300 billion, the short-term benefits
of malaria control can reasonably be estimated at between $3
billion and $12 billion per year.
"Malaria is hurting the living standards of Africans today and
is also preventing the improvement of living standards for
future generations," said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director
General of the World Health Organization. "This is an
unnecessary and preventable handicap on the continent's
economic development."
The report also finds that:
- Malaria-free countries average three times higher GDP per
person than malarious countries, even after controlling for
government policy, geographical location, and other factors
which impact on economic well-being.
- One healthy year of life is gained for every $1 to $8 spent
on effectively treating malaria cases, which makes the
malaria treatment as cost-effective a public health
investment as measles vaccinations. This analysis, carried
out by Dr Ann Mills, LSHTM, demonstrates that malaria control
tools and intervention strategies provide good value for
money.
"Malaria is taking costly bites out of Africa," said Dr David
Nabarro, executive director at WHO. "It is feasting on the
health and development of African children and it is draining
the life out of African economies."
The report recommends that $1 billion annually be devoted to
malaria prevention and control and that most of this
expenditure be focused in Africa. This is many times greater
than the amount which is currently being spent. It argues
that spending this amount is economically justifiable as the
short-term benefits of malaria control can reasonably be
estimated at between $3 billion and $12 billion per year.
"The benefits of committing substantial new economic resources
to malaria will greatly exceed the costs," said Sachs.
The findings of the report will be presented today at the
first ever summit to focus on malaria. The heads of state of
twenty African nations and the executive directors of the
African Development Bank, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO
and WHO are expected to be present to hear the findings. The
Summit is being hosted in Abuja, Nigeria by the country's
president, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, and is
co-sponsored by WHO.
Malaria accounts for nearly one million deaths each year in
Africa; an estimated 700,000 of these deaths are among
children. Research has found that the wider availability and
use of insecticide treated bednets would result in 50 percent
less malaria illness among children. Yet presently, only 2%
of African children are protected at night with a treated
bednet.
"Roll Back Malaria aims to help African families create a
mosquito free zone in the home through the use of nets,
drapes, or bednets treated with insecticide," said Dr Awash
Teklehaimanot, acting project manager for Roll Back Malaria.
"Our goal is to ensure that every person at risk of malaria
in Africa is protected with an insecticide-treated bednet
within the next five years."
In addition to ensuring wider availability of treated nets,
Roll Back Malaria is also working to provide greater access
to rapid diagnosis and quick treatment with the appropriate
therapies -- ideally in the home; preventing malaria illness
during pregnancy; and detecting and responding to epidemics
quickly.
"Halving the burden of malaria is realistic and achievable,"
said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of WHO. "We
have the tools. We have the economic justification. We now
need leaders from both the public and private sectors
stepping forward to make this happen."
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen international policy debates around
African issues, by concentrating on providing accessible
policy-relevant information and analysis usable by a wide
range of groups and individuals.
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