ALMA Leaders’ Big Push to avert the malaria funding crises
Yesterday, African heads of state and government met to discuss the need to maintain the significant gains made in the fight against malaria. A “BIG PUSH” is required to fill the US$3.6 billion gap to sustain universal coverage of key malaria control interventions to the end of 2015.
Thirteen African countries received awards. Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Uganda received the 2013 ALMA Award for Excellence in Policy. These countries have removed tariffs on antimalarial commodities, banned oral artemisinin-based mono-therapies, and introduced community case management of malaria. Cape Verde, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia received the 2013 ALMA Award for Excellence in Impact and Implementation. These countries reduced malaria incidence by over 75% and increased coverage of at-risk populations with mosquito nets and/or Indoor Residual Spraying.
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Her Excellency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President of the African Union Commission, conferred the ALMA Awards for Excellence.
African heads of state and government committed to increase their domestic contributions to public health including malaria control. This includes raising new revenues through innovative financing mechanisms, including introducing levies on financial transactions and airline tickets.
To address the malaria emergency threatening Africa, ALMA leaders will work with donors and development partners to explore emergency financing mechanisms that can bridge the financing gap, including the Global Fund, the World Bank, BRICS, United States, United Kingdom, UNITAID, African Development Bank, private sector, foundations, and others. Ministers of Finance will convene a meeting alongside the International Monetary Fund/World Bank Spring Meetings in April 2013 to discuss mechanisms to fill outstanding gaps.
All partners that have supported the funding of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying over the past five years in ALMA countries were urged to support their replacement /respraying. Children that had been protected over the past few years are now beginning to be exposed. These essential vector control interventions must be urgently replaced/sustained.
In 2010, ALMA, working with key partners, successfully piloted a bulk purchasing mechanism which rapidly delivered LLINs. Countries and donors were urged to adopt bulk purchasing mechanisms to accelerate access to essential malaria commodities.
ALMA recognized the crucial role that the Global Fund plays in the fight against AIDS, TB, and Malaria. ALMA countries committed to supporting and actively lobbying for the Global Fund’s replenishment efforts this year. ALMA will also strongly support the replenishment of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). Heads of state also urged the Global Fund and the World Bank to examine mechanisms to increase resources available today.
The ALMA Forum urged the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to accelerate technical support to strengthen financial management and controls in member countries.
ALMA, an alliance of 49 African heads of state and government, believes that if these key outcomes are implemented, the achievement of near zero malaria deaths in Africa by 2015 is within our grasp.
ALMA Contact
Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur: Ethiopian Mobile: +251 932 996 722 U.S. Mobile: +1 678 362 0157
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