Global Targets - Part 2
Abuja Declaration on Roll Back Malaria
During the African Summit on Roll Back Malaria in Abuja, Nigeria in April 2000, representatives of forty four out of fifty malaria affected countries in Africa pledged to halve the number of malaria related deaths by the year 2010. Moreover, they set the following objectives until 2005:
- at least 60 percent of those suffering from malaria have prompt access to and are able to use correct, affordable and appropriate treatment within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms;
- at least 60 percent of those at risk of malaria, particularly pregnant women and children under five years of age, benefit from the most suitable combination of personal and community protective measures such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and other interventions which are accessible and affordable to prevent infection and suffering; and
- at least 60 percent of all pregnant women who are at risk of malaria, especially those in their first pregnancies, have access to chemoprophylaxis or presumptive intermittent treatment.
In the World Health Assembly 2005 the WHO increased this target to 80% by 2010.
In spite of more efforts, the 60% target for coverage target was not reached by any of the African States, since until very recently, control efforts remained too fragmented and major international investments were made too late. According to the World Malaria Report 2008, by 2006 “only six countries in the African Region had sufficient nets […] to cover at least 50% of people at risk.” [ ]
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
192 United Nations member states have agreed to reach eight international development goals (MDGs) until 2015.
The malaria-specific goal:
Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases. (Goal 6)
Malaria related goals:
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
(Goal 1) - Reducing by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day (Goal 1, Target 1)
- Reduce by half the proportion of people suffering from hunger
(Goal 1, Target 3) - Reduce child mortality
(Goal 4) - Reduce by 2/3 the mortality rate among children under age five
(Goal 4, Target 1) - Improve maternal health
(Goal 5) - Reduce by ¾ the maternal mortality ration
(Goal 5, Target 1)
According to the Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 "large increases in funding and attention to malaria have accelerated malaria control activities in many countries” and “countries have also been quicker to adopt more successful strategies that would have been out of reach if less funding were available”. Due to increased financial support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the malaria control measures – especially insecticide treated mosquito nets – could be amplified. Consequently, in all sub-Saharan African countries with trend data available the use of insecticide-treated nets among children under five years of age increased: 16 of these 20 countries have at least tripled their coverage since around 2000. Still, overall insecticide-treated net use does not meet global targets [ ].
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1 The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: The Status and Impact of the Three Diseases
2 World Malaria Report 2008
3 Millennium Goals Report 2008
