A Malaria-Free World is Within Reach
By Awa Marie Coll-Seck
A decade ago, far from public outcry or front-page headlines, malaria was killing 3,000 people every day, mainly African women and children. Few of more than over 3 billion people at risk had access to mosquito nets or effective malaria drugs. Chloroquine, the main malaria drug, had become ineffective against malaria's deadliest strain, and the pipeline for new drugs, vaccines and other tools to control malaria was virtually empty.
Since the moment when advocacy efforts shifted malaria from a neglected disease to global health priority, the results were tangible: a 30-fold jump in international funding, increased commitment by African leaders, a rapid expansion of research and development, and the creation of new alliances addressing malaria. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership, the global framework for coordinated action created in 1998 by the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank, is now a worldwide movement of more than 500 public and private sector partners.
