Victoria Falls, ZIMBABWE: - Ministers of Health from Malaria-Endemic Countries have adopted the Victoria Falls Declaration in which they commit to eliminate and expand malaria control to hard-to-reach migrant and mobile communities.
Health ministers recognize that malaria continues to be an obstacle to economic progress especially to the poorest of the poor in the world. The Victoria Falls Declaration includes a ten-point action plan as a radical new approach to put in place measures to sustain the good work on malaria control and elimination until all targets are met.
The ten-point action plan includes a commitment in the form of a statement by health leaders to address malaria in the context of migration and human mobility. Through this statement, health leaders, including the private sector and development partners commit to address the impact of migration and human mobility on malaria control and elimination and to jointly address the challenges in providing adequate and inclusive health services to cross-border, mobile and migrant populations.
Health ministers recognize that migrants still face barriers to access malaria treatment at different stages of the migration process and that if the status quo remains, gains in malaria control and elimination at national level will be unsustainable. In addition, the Ministers acknowledge that lack of data and poor health systems poses a challenge to malaria control in the region. They affirmed that, there is need for strengthening operational research that will provide data/information for evidence based planning and decision-making. The ministers also agree to collaborate and strengthen existing cross border initiatives to combat malaria.
With this statement, health leaders affirmed their collective leadership and commitment to expand the response to the malaria epidemic in the region.
"We live in an era of unprecedented human mobility, as the world prepares for the post 2015 development agenda, it is imperative that migration and human mobility are included in the post 2015 health outcomes if we are to sustain our current achievements. Malaria is preventable and treatable but the reality is malaria remains a fatal disease that knows nor respects borders," said Ambassador William Lacy Swing, IOM Director General.
The Victoria Falls Declaration Ten Point Action Plan
(Summary)
Ministers committed to:
1. !important; Internal review of costs and efficiencies to determine the best way for the Malaria Endemic Countries to support the work of Roll Back Malaria Partnership.
2. !important; Ensure their high level participation in Roll Back Malaria activities
3. !important; Leverage on the political will through regional economic blocs for domestic funding/resourcing.
4. Explore other domestic financing sources including departments of Environment, Water & Sanitation, Agriculture, Tourism and Home Affairs and others by ensuring the issue of Malaria is placed on the agenda of the Heads of States to achieve an integrated budgeting approach in countries.
5. !important; Develop regional comprehensive communications strategies to highlight the work undertaken by the malaria community.
6. !important; Encourage zero tolerance to corruption by putting in place accountable structures to oversee misuse of funds.
7. !important; Commit to cross border initiatives of malaria control and elimination as recognition of the intricate link between Malaria and human mobility in partnership with the International Organization for Migration.
8. !important; Develop an innovative partnership funding approach in order to ensure less dependency on donors and development partners.
9. !important; Re-examine malaria focused industries in order to encourage domestic manufacturing.
10. Given the narrowed the funding gap in malaria, there is need to come up with bold and innovative financing mechanisms to ensure that the good work of Roll Back Malaria is not interrupted.
With this declaration, the ministers committed to ensure that the ten-point plan is refined into a robust Plan Of Action ahead of our RBM Board meeting in Thailand in December 2014.