Advocacy &Funding Bill Brieger | 20 Jan 2010 07:14 pm
Advocacy for the Next Phase of Malaria Control
We move into 2010 with the hopes that scale up for impact (SUFI) will achieve universal coverage of malaria interventions. The next several years will require sustained and consolidated effort if the MDG of reducing malaria mortality by 50% can be achieved.
The World Malaria Report of 2009 already shows us what is possible. Ten countries/areas have achieved a greater that 50% reduction since Roll Back malaria was inaugurated. As we move to the harder to reach populations, not only will sustained action be needed, but increased funding and leadership will be needed.
It is in this context that the Malaria Round Table, supported by the Global Health Counci, met today to strategize on the current malaria programming and funding landscape and determine how advocacy efforts should move forward through sustained control into pre-elimination of the disease
The meeting was organized by the VOICES advocacy program and hosted by VOICES partner Fleishman Hillard. Over 30 members of the Round Table assembled to review their advocacy messaged first drafted in 2006 and craft new messages for the current situation that reflects hope and concern. Hope arises from the progress made in those areas with concerted and continual investment in malaria control. Concern is based on the world’s current economic malaise.
In 2006 many stakeholders did not understand malaria and that it was a problem with solutions. Since then stakeholders have made major investments, and thus, in 2010 they need to make a commitment to taking malaria control to the next level – elimination.
Below are listed the messages that arose out of the meeting – an over-arching message and four sub-messages. We hope the broader malaria community will comment on these and in particular provide factual proof that will make the messages stronger.
Your comments are not only welcome, but are crucial in bring all malaria advocates together to ensure sustained effort and coverage so we can eliminate malaria.
Please review and comment on these messages …
Overarching Message
Your investments in malaria control are paying off and we must continue our success so that we can end this disease or we will lose the progress we have made to date in saving millions of lives.
Message 1
The investment has paid off and the global funding for prevention and treatment has saved millions of lives.
Message 2
The good news is that malaria control also frees up other resources, has a direct/ripple effect, improves economies, productivity, and other health priorities.
Message 3
Without continued investment, we could not only lose the gains we’ve made, but also could see the situation even worsen, which would cost even more in the future.
Message 4
We have a plan to get the job done, but we need sustained and increased funding for malaria prevention and treatment, research, and new tools.
Please post comments here AND send comments to jon.berke@fleishman.com.