RBM Partnership to End Malaria, a global coalition on Malaria, has supported WHO report, showing that global investments and actions are making big difference, while half of the world population are still at risk of dying from malaria.
The RBM stated this in a statement it issued in Geneva while reacting to the 2019 World Malaria Report released by WHO on Dec. 4.
According to the report, global malaria cases and deaths are declining but at a slower rate: from an estimated 231 million to 228 million cases and from 416,000 to 405,000 deaths between 2017 and 2018.
Estimates show that in 2018, global efforts saved almost 600,000 lives per year and prevented almost 100 million malaria cases per year compared to 2000.
The statement quoted Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, the Chief Executive Officer, RBM Partnership to End Malaria as saying that “continued global investment and commitment toward a world free of malaria have been critical to sustaining the progress the malaria community has made to date, without these global efforts, malaria cases and deaths will be significantly higher.
“Now, it is essential we step up global action and financing to close the annual $2 billion funding gap to reach those at risk with sustainable access to life-saving tools.
“We must also prioritise developing and scaling-up new, transformative tools to stay ahead of the evolving parasite, as highlighted in two landmark reports on malaria eradication published earlier this year.
“It is crucial that we act now to hold leaders accountable and work together to achieve vital reduction targets, save millions of more lives and end malaria for good.”
