23 April 2012
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| Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York |
Secretary-General Says ‘Monumental Tragedy’ That One Child Dies Every Minute from Malaria, But Hope Offered by Coalition That Has Saved More Than a Million Lives
Following is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on World Malaria Day, observed 25 April:
Last
year on World Malaria Day, we mourned the fact that one child died every
45 seconds from this disease. This year, we have managed to slow the
clock. It remains a monumental tragedy that one child dies every minute
from malaria, but we can draw some hope from the many lives saved
through international interventions.
More children are sleeping
safely under nets, more families are gathering in rooms protected from
mosquitoes, more communities have access to testing, and more patients
get the medicines they need to recover.
A global coalition has
boosted proven strategies, including long-lasting insecticidal nets,
indoor spraying, rapid diagnostic tests and anti-malaria medicines for
populations at risk.
Thanks to this remarkable
partnership bringing together Governments, international agencies,
donors, researchers, corporations, philanthropists and a range of civil
society organizations and concerned individuals.
Their efforts have saved
more than a million lives. Since 2000, malaria mortality rates have
fallen by more than a quarter globally, and by more than a third in
Africa.
Now is the time to push
for much greater progress. Achieving near zero malaria deaths is one of
key priorities in the action agenda I have established for the next
five years.
In our
world of plenty, there is no excuse for not making smart and affordable
investments in malaria interventions. A rapid diagnostic test costs
about 50 cents, while a course of an anti-malaria drug costs only about
$1. A bed net that lasts three years and can protect several children
costs approximately $5.
These are modest sums, and
we can lower costs even further if we fund research to find better
solutions. Even as we seek to prevent malaria deaths today, we must
invest in the next generation of anti-malaria tools to fight emerging
resistance and continue our drive towards a vaccine. We need to better
coordinate our efforts to test, treat and track the disease.
On this World Malaria Day,
let us collectively pledge to close the $3.2 billion funding gap to
achieve and maintain universal coverage in Africa up to 2015 — and
ultimately to reach our goal of defeating this disease
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