For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 30, 2005

Fighting Malaria in Africa

“The toll of malaria is even more tragic because the disease itself is highly treatable and preventable. Yet this is also our opportunity, because we know that large-scale action can defeat this disease in whole regions. And the world must take that action. Next week at the G-8, I will urge developed countries and private foundations to join in a broad, aggressive campaign to cut the mortality rate for malaria across African in half.”

-- President George W. Bush
June 30, 2005

FACT SHEET

Today's Action

• Today, President Bush challenged the world to dramatically reduce malaria as a major killer of children in sub-Saharan Africa and pledged to increase funding of malaria prevention and treatment by more than $1.2 billion over five years. The goal is to reduce malaria deaths by 50 percent in targeted African countries.
• The additional funding provided by the United States will eventually benefit more than 175-million people in 15 or more African countries. This commitment to expand malaria prevention and treatment programs in Africa is in addition to the $200 million the U.S. spends today on malaria prevention, treatment, and research worldwide.
• This initiative, in combination with a similar program announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and efforts by Marathon Oil Corporation and Noble Energy, Inc., will increase malaria interventions in five countries: Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Equatorial Guinea.
• The President calls on other donors, foundations, and private, public, and voluntary organizations to complement the United States commitments by providing additional funding.

Combating Malaria and Improving Lives

• While malaria is both preventable and treatable if addressed properly and quickly, this disease is one of the greatest threats to human health and economic welfare on earth. Each year, malaria kills almost 1.2 million people, with the vast majority of victims being young children in Africa. Estimated yearly economic loss due to malaria is about $12 billion, accounting for a crippling 1.3 percent annual loss in GDP growth in endemic countries.
• The more than $1 billion additional funding announced today will be used over the next five years to prevent and treat malaria in targeted, highly-endemic sub-Saharan African countries. Funding for this comprehensive initiative will include:
• $30 million to launch the initiative in Tanzania, Uganda, and Angola in 2006;
• $135 million to expand work in the initial three countries and to launch the program in additional countries in 2007;
• $300 million additional to continue work in those countries already selected and to launch efforts in additional countries in 2008;
• $300 million in 2009; and
• Increasing to $500 million in 2010 with a goal of benefiting a total of 175 million people.
• The Gates Foundation committed $35 million to support malaria programs with other partners in Zambia. Marathon Oil Corporation with Noble Energy, Inc. and other partners have committed $8.3 million for Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.
• With the combined efforts of all partners and national governments, the program would save hundreds of thousands of lives annually, meeting the Roll Back Malaria mortality goal for target countries.
• These results will be accomplished by helping national governments achieve 85 percent coverage among vulnerable or high-risk populations with proven and effective prevention and treatment interventions.
• The Initiative will scale up a comprehensive approach to malaria by combining proven and effective interventions for prevention and treatment that will:
• Expand access to long-lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying with approved insecticides.
• Treat malaria through the prompt use of new artemisinin-based combination therapies or other effective therapies which are internationally accepted treatments. These drugs will be made available through public and private sector outlets in target countries and be supported by information and education campaigns to improve care seeking and access.
• Address malaria in pregnancy. Each year more than 30-million African women living in malaria-endemic areas become pregnant and are at risk for malaria infections, contributing to low birth weight and deaths among infants.
• The United States will work in partnership with host country governments in Africa building on existing national programs. This initiative will also support the efforts of the Global Fund, the World Bank, Roll Back Malaria, and other donors.

The Initiative will support national programs and strategies for malaria, in collaboration with the Global Fund. This Initiative will procure drugs and other commodities and support logistics, management, communication, and training. The Initiative will also include comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, targeted operational research to improve on-the-ground implementation, and detailed reporting on inputs, outcomes, results, and impact.

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