* £7.4 million funding from UK will make malaria drugs and tests accessible for countries around the world
* Over 50 million people will have access to the life-saving drugs and tests by 2027
* UK-Indian developed vaccines being rolled out to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin
By Duncan Mlanjira
More than 600,000 people worldwide die every year from preventable and treatable malaria disease and in response to the staggering figures, the United Kingdom (UK) Government will improve access to malaria drugs to help tackle one of the biggest killers of children in sub-Saharan Africa.
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This has been announced today, April 25 in a statement made available from the British High Commission to Malawi, saying £7.4 million support for MedAccess will be used to negotiate lower prices for vital malaria drugs and diagnostic tests for people in countries affected by the disease.
The funding brings total UK support to MedAccess to £17.4 million, which will help one million people access new diagnostic tests and 120 million patients to receive anti-malarial treatments.
The statement further says MedAccess guarantees sales volumes of drugs in markets where demand is uncertain so that manufacturers can commit to affordable prices and stable supply. In return, manufacturers receive assurance that they will be paid even if the demand doesn’t materialise.
In three years, it is expected that more than 50 million people will have access to drugs and other items, continues the statement, adding that this announcement comes on the World Health Organisation (WHO’s) World Malaria Day, which aims to keep the disease high on the political agenda, mobilize additional resources, and empower communities.
Andrew Mitchell
Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, is quoted as saying: “Thanks to British science, we now have life-saving malaria vaccines which will protect millions of people.
“But we also need to make sure we are making drugs available at the best possible price to the countries that most need them. Deaths from malaria are entirely preventable and the UK’s support for MedAccess will ensure that countries can afford to offer people the best protection against the disease.”
The statement further says it has also been announced that Sierra Leone, Liberia and Benin will begin their first roll out of the UK-Indian developed RTS,S vaccine, marking a significant milestone in ending malaria.
“Collaboration between British scientists and Indian manufacturers resulted in two essential malaria vaccines being developed — RTS,S and R21. These have been used in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, with 2 million children vaccinated since 2019, and, in January, Cameroon became the first country to give the vaccines to children routinely.
“A total of 22 countries are due to roll out the vaccine. Gavi, which is funded by the UK, is aiming to immunise more than 6 million children from malaria by the end of 2025.
“UK funding helps MedAccess to reduce the costs of a range of innovative health products for HIV, TB and malaria, meaning that UK support for organisation like Gavi and the Global Fund will go further as they benefit from lower prices for products.”
Michael Anderson
On his part, Chief Executive Officer for MedAccess, Michael Anderson, said: “We are deeply grateful for FCDO’s continued support, which enables MedAccess to improve access to products for HIV, TB, and malaria in support of Global Fund programmes.
“MedAccess will continue to use innovative financial tools to reduce the cost of diagnosis, prevention and treatment, improving value for money while improving patient access.
“We are glad to announce this renewed funding on World Malaria Day, an important moment for global stakeholders to come together with a common ambition to accelerate malaria prevention and control.”
The World Malaria Day is being commemorated under the theme: ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’ and in its statement, WHO maintains “recent years, progress in reducing malaria has ground to a standstill”.
“Not only does malaria continue to directly endanger health and cost lives, but it also perpetuates a vicious cycle of inequity. People living in the most vulnerable situations including pregnant women, infants, children under 5 years of age, refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, and Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately impacted.
“The WHO African Region shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease – accounting, in 2022, for 94% and 95% of malaria case and deaths.
“Rural populations in the African region living in situations of poverty and with less access to education are the most impacted. In view of the current trajectory, critical 2025 milestones of the WHO global malaria strategy for reductions in malaria cases and deaths will be missed.
“Why are pregnant women, young children and other groups in vulnerable situations not accessing the malaria services they need? On World Malaria Day 2024, WHO joins the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and other partners in highlighting barriers to health equity, gender equality and human rights in malaria responses worldwide – as well as concrete measures to overcome them.”
The UK is a leading investor in the fight against malaria and is the third largest historical donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, investing £5.5 billion to date.
Its current £1 billion commitment to the Global Fund (2023/24 to 2025/26) will support distributing 86 million mosquito nets, provide 452,000 seasonal malaria chemoprevention treatments and providing malaria treatment and care for 18 million people.
The UK is the largest sovereign donor to the core immunisation programme of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is currently supporting the roll-out the RTS,S malaria. A total of 22 countries are approved to roll out the vaccine.
The UK is a leading donor and the largest donor of flexible voluntary contributions to WHO which plays a critical role in setting the norms and standards for health including malaria, as well as supporting countries with technical assistance.
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