Jeddah / Geneva, 22 April 2009
The world has witnessed unprecedented achievements in the fight against malaria over the last decade. Funding for malaria has increased from USD 240 million in 2004 to nearly USD 2.0 billion in 2008. Many countries are experiencing a decline in malaria cases and in deaths. These new resources are being used towards the ambitious goal of achieving universal coverage with effective malaria interventions by 2010 and near zero deaths by 2015. Malaria elimination is becoming a reality for some African states.
The Organization of Islamic Conference under the framework of its Ten-Year Programme of Action works to enhance and consolidate the bonds of fraternity and solidarity among its Member States and to promote cooperation with the relevant international institutions to draw up a programme for combating diseases and epidemics.
To this end the OIC is proud to work with the RBM Partnership to support the attainment of six of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 which cannot be achieved unless malaria is defeated.
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Prof Awa Marie Coll-Seck-The Executive
Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. |
At least 14 OIC Member States are working towards malaria elimination based on the resolution adopted by the recently held Second Session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran from March 1 to 4, 2009 to combat communicable diseases. The Ministers invited the OIC Member States with epidemiological expertise and capacities to cooperate in malaria elimination programmes with other OIC members and encourages mobilizing assistance from WHO and the Global Fund To Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The Member States were also urged to initiate public-private partnerships to form a vaccine production consortium to enhance their collective capacity for large scale vaccines production to respond to vaccine-preventable diseases - including malaria.
The OIC is concerned that 43 of its Member States are currently at risk from malaria with 23 of these rated as high burden countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in dire need of continued support to scale up for impact and achieve high levels of coverage with effective anti-malaria interventions.
On this second World Malaria Day, the OIC and the RBM Partnership urge the international community to join forces to further accelerate their efforts to combat malaria so as to achieve universal coverage by 2010 and move countries steadily towards malaria elimination and eventual eradication.