PHA-Exch> World on ‘the brink’ of eliminating malaria deaths, says UN envoy

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at gmail.com>
cross posted from: "[health-vn discussion group]" health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au


Ray Chambers, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria
19 September 2008 – Leading figures from government, business and civil
society will meet next week in New York to highlight how close the world is
to ending malaria deaths by the target date of 2015, a goal that the United
Nations special envoy for the disease says is clearly within reach.
According to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO)
yesterday, progress in malaria control has accelerated dramatically since
2006, particularly in the wake of the Secretary-General's call for universal
malaria control coverage by the end of 2010.

"If we accomplish the Secretary-General's goal then we will be able to bring
malaria deaths to near zero by 2015 at the latest," Ray Chambers, the
Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria, said in an interview with the
UN News Centre.

"I'm very optimistic that it will happen sooner than that. We're on the
brink of bringing it under control and eliminating deaths," he stated,
adding that funding, awareness-raising and partnerships, particularly to
increase access to bed nets and medicines, have been key to the success
achieved so far.

Mr. Chambers noted that an "unprecedented" amount of funding is being given
to malaria, which kills about 3,000 children every day and claims one
million lives every year.

"I believe we have the funding, and are likely to have the funding, to
complete the Secretary-General's call for universal coverage by the end of
2010," he said.

On 25 September, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly
President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann are convening a high-level gathering to
review progress to date, identify gaps and commit to concrete steps to
ensure that all countries can achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).

The Goals, with a target date of 2015, range from eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger, and achieving universal primary education, to reducing
child mortality and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

Mr. Chambers will be hosting a special event that day which will see the
announcement of increased funding and additional partnerships to tackle
malaria and help achieve the 2010 and 2015 goals.

*How I wish this were true....*
*Claudio*
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