Financing for Malaria Control
International funding for malaria prevention and treatment grew significantly during the past 5 years, from just US$ 51 million annually in 2003, to an estimated US$ 1.1 billion in 2008. Despite this success, a significant increase in financial support and sustained commitment will be required to reach the 2010 and 2015 targets, and the RBM Partnership’s long- term vision of malaria eradication.
Providing protection, diagnosis and treatment for every person at risk of malaria by 2010 will require ten times the current access to interventions compared to data from 2008.
Since malaria endemic countries are among the poorest of the world, many of them cannot afford to acquire and deliver malaria commodities as well as to train and compensate community health and community workers. To reach the targets of universal coverage, a substantial amount of interventions need to be funded and delivered globally:
- 730 million long-lasting nets are needed globally
- Approximately 172 million households need indoor spraying with insecticides
- Nearly 25 million pregnant women are in need of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) annually
- Approximately 1.5 billion rapid diagnostic tests are needed globally on an annual basis
- An estimated 228 million doses of ACTs are needed to treat malaria tropica.
To reach and sustain universal coverage, US$ 5.3 billion are required in 2009, US$ 6.1 billion in 2010 and US$ 5.1 billion annually from 2011 onwards, leaving a huge financing gap, if not filled by the international community and malaria endemic countries.
In addition, more that US$ 8.9 billion is needed over ten years (from 2008) for malaria research and development, including vector control, drug development, vaccines, diagnostics.
Major sources of malaria funding
In 2007, around US$ 1.5 billion were spent on malaria control globally. One fifth of these funds came from household purchases of malaria products (such as anti-malarial drugs or long-lasting insecticidal nets) principally through the private sector. Approximately 34% of funds came from national government expenditures dedicated to malaria, and the remaining funding came from international donors, which disbursed an estimated US$ 701 million. The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTM) contributed to half of the disbursements from international donors.
Source: Global Malaria Action Plan
