David Beckham V 10,000 Mosquitoes...
The Malaria Story
Malaria is still one of the world’s most devastating diseases, killing over 400,000 people a year, the majority of whom are children under five and pregnant women.
Since 2000, when the world committed to protect millions of people from preventable and treatable diseases, significant investment, strong political leadership and the development and distribution of new tools have led to a marked decline in malaria cases and deaths; saving almost 7 million lives.
It is a race against time to do this, because treatments are beginning to struggle against new resistance in the disease. If we don’t stop it spreading, we could be at risk from a new, even more dangerous threat.
The past decade’s success put the world on a path towards ending malaria for good. But today, that hard-earned success is fragile and uneven, halting the decline in deaths and cases and putting our tremendous progress at risk.
A global focus and action is needed to build on remarkable gains (over a 60% reduction in deaths since 2000) and meet the 2020 and 2030 targets agreed by world leaders in the Sustainable Development Goals.
This will need to be achieved in the face of declining political attention, plateauing global funding levels, substantial coverage gaps (for prevention, detection and treatment) and the emergence of drug and insecticide resistance.
If we don’t seize the moment now to extend and accelerate further progress, there is a serious risk that recent efforts will be reversed and lost.
We're at a crossroads
A heightened level of leadership and financing from malaria affected countries and regions, delivering political, private sector and innovative cross-sector commitments to accelerate action.
An increase in in-country and international partnerships, including through regional and global platforms.
Increased access to the range of proven tools, strategies and research and development (R&D) that countries can utilise in their battle against malaria.
What is needed
We believe malaria must die so millions can live.
It's the 21st century and people are still dying from the world's oldest and deadliest disease. Every two minutes a child dies from malaria.
But since 2000 we've made huge progress saving over seven million lives.
The world knows what needs to be done and we have a choice: Let malaria go on killing almost half a million people a year or we can take action to end malaria for good.
In April 2018, leaders from Commonwealth countries will meet in London as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. We need to make sure malaria is a focus. Why? Because 90% of people in the Commonwealth are affected by malaria and action from this meeting can accelerate progress in ending this killer disease.
About the campaign
#MALARIAMUSTDIE
