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Malaria N° 9 - Subject N° 2


WORLD BANK MALARIA CONTROL (3rd PANAFRICAN MALARIA MEETING). THE WORLD BANK'S COMMITMENT TO MALARIA CONTROL
E. Malangalila & J. Mbugua


SUMMARY
There is profound momentum for malaria control at both global and regional level. At global level there has been commitment for Roll Back Malaria mode of recent WHO World Health Assembly and at G8 summit in Birmingham. Also strong support has come from multilateral and bilateral agencies. International research agencies have formed the Multilateral Initiative for Malaria (MIM) to increase collaboration for malaria research in Africa. The African Initiative for Long-term Malaria Control so called the New WHO/World Initiative) is also part of this momentum.

BANK'S GLOBAL RESPONSE TO MALARIA CONTROL:

1) The World Bank Strategy Paper for Health Nutrition and Population proposes greater emphasis on selected high priority diseases including malaria. It is clear that aggregate Bank activity in malaria today is not commensurate with the size and growth of the problem.

2) The Bank has been asked by international partners to undertake comprehensive research on the economics of malaria. In late July, Joe Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard will host a high-level round-table to discuss the initial elements of the research.

3) The World Bank and private sector pharmaceutical companies are exploring partnership to discover and develop new products for tropical diseases. Antimalarial chemotherapy is being discussed as the initial disease indication to be tackled.

4) Through the Special Grants Program, the Bank was a cofounder and has been a major financial support of the Tropical Diseases Research Programme TDR at WHO. This programme tackles six diseases but puts most resources and efforts into malaria. Over the past 20 years TDR has been associated with most of the advances that have been made in understanding malaria and developing new technologies for its control.

BANK'S RESPONSE TO MALARIA CONTROL IN AFRICA:

1 ) The Bank has been one of the leading partners in galvanising support for the malaria initiative with Roll Back Malaria having taken hold, the Bank maybe expected to lead the resource mobilisation by aiming for IDA resources in the order of 300 - 400 Million $US for a period of 10 years in 45 countries in the African region. This assistance will be given in new ways using the principals of sector-wide approaches to ensure that the Bank's funding works towards a co-ordinated malaria response in country and does not further «projectization» and competition among country level activities.

2) As a vector borne disease, malaria cannot be addressed solely at the country level. Recognising this, and the Bank limited capacity to address problems on a regional or sub-regional basis, an Innovative Market Place proposal for 2 Million $US has been submitted to support the development of a multi-country malaria Adaptable Program Loan in 10 African countries.

3) The World Bank presently finances control activities in 22 countries world-wide. In Africa, four countries (Madagascar, Uganda, Senegal and Comoros) have significant malaria project components. In addition, seven African countries have small malaria components or have activities that are part of a basic package for essential health care. Active Bank financing of malaria in Africa is estimated of 14 Million $US.

4) The Bank through the Development Grants facility has recently approved a tune of 1 Million $US each year for three years to help establish the Secretariat and fund preparatory work in support of the African Initiative on Malaria control.


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