David Beckham Launches Malaria Must Die – A global Campaign Calling for New Commitments to End the World’s Oldest Disease

7 February, London – David Beckham today launched an ambitious new global malaria campaign, Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live calling upon leaders to “unite and fight” malaria. The campaign’s first focus is on leaders at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in 70 days’ time.

The ground-breaking film, made by Ridley Scott Associates working with digital ad agency R/GA and Director Baillie Walsh, alongside input from Richard Curtis, features David in a glass box “under attack” by a swarm of mosquitoes. 

This dramatic film makes the point that, like David, those of us living in malaria-free countries are fortunate to be protected from the deadly disease, but half of the world’s population are still at risk. Malaria tragically claims 445,000 lives a year and over half of these deaths occur in Commonwealth countries. Each death is needless as malaria is totally preventable and costs less than a cup of tea to treat.

David Beckham, a founding member of Malaria No More UK Leadership Council says, 

“I’ve supported the malaria fight for over 15 years and it’s been exciting to see the progress made to save lives, including millions of young children. As the mosquito film shows, these insects are annoying in places likes the UK but in many parts of the world, a mosquito bite is terrifying and deadly, leading to malaria and the loss of a child’s life every two minutes. This is totally unacceptable, especially when we know how to prevent and cure it.  That’s why I’m standing with the millions who live with this threat every day. I urge Commonwealth leaders to be ready to take bold action when they meet in London in April and to unite to stop this disease in its tracks.”

James Whiting, Executive Director of Malaria No More UK (the NGO convening the campaign on behalf of the global malaria community) said, “Malaria is the world’s oldest known disease and history’s deadliest killer. Efforts to fight the disease have delivered unprecedented progress in recent years. But worryingly progress has stalled and we risk undoing decades of work. Which is why we are calling on Commonwealth leaders to reinforce their support to ending malaria at this, the most crucial of junctures – especially with the knockout blow in sight.” 

The malaria fight is far from won - The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual World Malaria Report came out at the end of 2017 with a stark wake-up call showing progress to save lives slowing for the first time in many years.

Dr Pedro L. Alonso, Director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Malaria Programme said, “We are at a crossroads in the global response to malaria. WHO’s recent World Malaria Report shows that progress is stalling and, without urgent action, we risk going backwards. Currently, about half of malaria deaths each year are in Commonwealth countries. Leaders of these countries must take action now and make a renewed commitment to putting us on the path towards a malaria-free world.”

The Malaria Must Die campaign aims to break new ground politically and invites the public to share and declare their support.

 See link for David Beckham video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgWBTC4O9Ew

www.malariamustdie.com #MalariaMustDie @malariamustdie

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For more information contact Heather Bull Tel: +44 7854 025320  Heather.Bull@edelman.com or Hannah Barlow Tel: +44 7793 822089 hannah.barlow@malarianomore.org.uk

 NOTES TO EDITORS

Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live

Malaria Must Die is a new global campaign backed by a wide coalition of organisations and celebrities, who are calling upon leaders to prioritise the fight against malaria, or risk undoing decades of unprecedented progress.

It aims to inspire support and build a strong mandate for bold political action to end malaria for good. The first focus of the campaign is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting being hosted in London in April 2018.  (Malaria No More UK is convening the campaign on behalf of the global malaria community).

Six African Countries Lead the Way to a Malaria-Free Africa by 2030

Algeria, Comoros, Madagascar, the Gambia, Senegal, and Zimbabwe recognized by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance for their sharp decline in malaria cases.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (29 January 2018) – During the 30th African Union Summit, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) honored six African countries for their exemplary leadership in driving down malaria cases, even as regional and global progress risks losing momentum. The 2018 ALMA Awards for Excellence were presented to the heads of state of the following countries:

• Madagascar, the Gambia, Senegal and Zimbabwe for: reducing malaria cases by more than 20 percent from 2015 to 2016
• Algeria and Comoros for: being on-track to achieve a more than 40 percent drop incases by 2020
  
  ALMA is an alliance of 49 African countries working to end malaria on the continent by 2030. The ALMA Scorecard for Accountability & Action tracks progress and drives action on malaria control and elimination, and are chosen by an independent committee of experts in health, academia, and the private sector.
  While malaria deaths have plunged by more than 60 percent since 2000, cases rose in a majority of African countries in 2016, signaling that years of progress are at risk of stalling.

MEMBERS

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Chad Comoros Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland The Gambia Togo Uganda

United Republic of Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe

“When we take our eyes off malaria, the cost for our countries is huge. Yet if we increase our efforts to control and eventually eliminate malaria, the yield we get from it is tremendous. It is time that we dig deep into our pockets and provide malaria programmes with the needed resources,” said H.E. Dr. Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Swaziland.

Commenting on the awards, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: “In a new development era, we must go further, with greater resolve to not only reverse malaria incidence; but to stop transmission altogether. Success will require even greater commitment and stronger collaboration across sectors and borders, particularly as countries near their elimination targets.”

Speakers at the awards ceremony urged countries to prioritize funding for malaria, ensure that life-saving tools such as medicines, mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying reach the people who need them, while investing in better surveillance and strengthening health systems.

In recent years, with the support of global partners, countries like Rwanda have increased their reporting on malaria through their national health information systems. In addition, in 2017, African countries purchased and distributed 203 million mosquito nets to families across Africa, a record level.

“To continue to win the war against malaria, countries will have to work differently and smarter to outsmart the mosquito and the parasite it carries,” said Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. “ALMA stands ready to work with every country and partners to ensure that we achieve a malaria-free Africa.”

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that still affects hundreds of millions of families across the African continent. It keeps children out of school and prevents parents from earning a steady income, costing the African economy US$12 billion a year in direct losses, and 1.3 percent of lost annual GDP growth.

The ALMA Awards for Excellence come just two months after the World Malaria Report revealed that progress was fragile and uneven in 2016. More than 40 countries are on track to meet global elimination goals, yet cases went up by more than 20 percent in 25 countries, indicating a reversal in progress, including eight in the African region. Some 90 percent of all malaria cases and deaths still occur in Africa.

Starting this year, the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability & Action includes progress on combatting Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which, like malaria, disproportionately impact marginalized communities and are linked to poverty and inequity. The new NTD indicator reveals progress and tracks African leadership across the five most common NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa.

NTDs are some of the world’s oldest and most painful diseases, including rabies, leprosy and trachoma. More than 1.5 billion people, of which almost half are in Africa, are at risk.

“As heads of state and government at the African Union, we will have an opportunity to review our progress on neglected tropical diseases as part of the ALMA Scorecard. These diseases deserve our attention. Eliminating NTDs can put Africa on the path to prosperity and universal health coverage. I urge my fellow African leaders to build on the progress already made and increase their efforts to tackle NTDs and make them a subject for much concerted effort and action at the African Union,” said His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

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About ALMA

Founded in 2009, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance is a ground-breaking coalition of African Heads of State and government working across country and regional borders to achieve a malaria-free Africa by 2030. All African Union countries are members of ALMA.
For more information visit: www.alma2030.org 

L’assainissement autonome : une solution de choix de l’État du Sénégal

Les partenaires de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates œuvrant pour le plaidoyer en faveur de l’assainissement autonome en visite à Dakar

L’accès à un assainissement adéquat est une question de dignité. Cette dernière demeure une priorité pour la préservation de la santé publique et la protection des milieux naturels contribuant ainsi au développement économique et social.

Conscient de ces enjeux, l’Office National d’Assainissement du Sénégal (ONAS), a lancé en 2011, avec l’appui financier de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates, le Programme de Structuration du Marché des Boues de Vidange[1] (PSMBV) dans les zones péri-urbaines de Dakar, pour une amélioration des conditions d’assainissement des populations. Ce programme conçu pour prendre en charge toute la chaîne de valeur des boues de vidanges a permis de mettre en exergue la vision du Président de la République son Excellence M. Macky Sall, matérialisée dans le Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE) et visant à conduire le Sénégal sur la voie de l’émergence à l’horizon 2035.

Dans cette optique, du 15 au 19 janvier 2018, s’est tenue à Dakar la réunion des partenaires de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates œuvrant dans le plaidoyer en faveur de l’assainissement autonome. Cette importante réunion qui a réuni plus d’une soixantaine de participants d’origines diverses avait pour objectif principal de cultiver un réseau de partenaires de la Fondation Gates en Afrique pour une collaboration étroite aux niveaux municipal, national, régional et international. Elle avait aussi pour but de comprendre comment les politiques, stratégies et réglementations peuvent améliorer les modèles d’affaires en lien avec la gestion des boues de vidange. Cet évènement a été présidé par le Directeur Général de l’ONAS, M. Lansana Gagny Sakho et M. Doulaye Koné, Directeur adjoint du pôle eau, hygiène et assainissement de la Fondation Bill et Melinda Gates.  

M. Sakho, a profité de cette occasion pour souligner l’importance de la priorisation de l’assainissement autonome. « Si la moitié des fonds alloués à l’assainissement collectif avait été dirigés vers l’assainissement autonome, le Sénégal comme beaucoup de pays africains aurait largement dépassé les objectifs de développement durable (OMD) en matière d’assainissement villes d’Afrique seraient assainies aujourd’hui » affirme-t-il.  Lors de cette rencontre, M. Sakho a mis en avant les réalisations du programme, notamment par rapport à la réhabilitation et la délégation de la gestion des stations de traitement des boues de vidange de Dakar au secteur privé.  Il a également tenu à annoncer le passage à l’échelle du projet boues de vidange, en soulignant le rôle incontournable du secteur privé dans ce dispositif.

La vision de l’ONAS est claire : la gestion de l’ensemble des ouvrages d’assainissement sera entièrement délégués à des professionnels cette option est incontournable pour d’une part assurer la durabilité des ouvrages et d’autre part offrir aux usager un service de qualité. Cette vision de l’ONAS entre en droite ligne avec l’axe 1 du Plan Sénégal Emergent qui souligne l’importance du partenariat public-privé.  D’ailleurs, comme énoncé par le Président de la République lors du Forum sur le financement des projets de type partenariats public-privé tenu en 2014 « L’Etat à lui seul ne peut réaliser l’émergence, il en crée les conditions par des politiques publiques cohérentes et un environnement des affaires propice à l’investissement privé. C’est pourquoi nous avons associé le secteur privé dans la conception du Plan Sénégal émergent (PSE). Il (le secteur privé) demeure notre principal partenaire dans la phase décisive de sa mise en œuvre ».

Les participants à la réunion ont pu effectuer des visites de terrain au niveau de la station de traitement des boues de vidange des Niayes, du prototype de l’omniprocesseur qui permet de produire des sous-produits issus des boues de vidange tels que l’eau potable et de l’engrais, les toilettes développées en zones inondables et commercialisées par Oxfam et enfin, des missions de vidange dans différents ménages de Pikine sous la supervision de l’Association des vidangeurs du Sénégal. Cette réunion a mis en exergue les possibilités de synergie qui existent entre les parties prenantes autour de l’assainissement et les opportunités de partage et de vulgarisation des bonnes pratiques dans le domaine de l’assainissement autonome aux niveaux national, régional, continental et international. Les discussions ont également souligné l’impact que des politiques en matière d’assainissement bien formulées peuvent avoir dans l’atteinte des Objectifs de Développement Durable.  Le sous-secteur des boues de vidange met en exergue le rôle essentiel de l’État en termes de régulation mais aussi de création d’un environnement favorable pour une implication accrue des partenaires dans le secteur de l’assainissement.

[1] Les boues de vidange sont la combinaison de matières fécales humaines, d’eaux usées, de déchets ménagers et de débris, accumulés au fond des fosses de latrines et des fosses septiques.

APPEL A MANIFESTATION D’INTERET POUR LA REALISATION D’UNE ANALYSE SITUATIONNELLE

Commanditaire: Speak Up Africa (SUA)

Basée à Dakar, au Sénégal, Speak Up Africa est une organisation à but non lucratif de communication stratégique et de plaidoyer dédiée à catalyser le leadership africain, favoriser les changements de politiques et renforcer la sensibilisation autour du développement durable en Afrique.

Contexte de l’étude :

L’assainissement autonome constitue le système le plus répandu en Afrique de l’Ouest pour la gestion des eaux usées domestiques. Dans les villes d’Afrique, en particulier celles d’Afrique subsaharienne, la majeure partie des habitations ne sont pas raccordées à un réseau d’égout, mais sont équipées de systèmes autonomes comme les latrines traditionnelles ou latrines à fosses étanches. Certaines habitations ne disposent d’aucun système d’assainissement. Il est estimé que seuls 30% des pays d’Afrique subsaharienne ont un système d’assainissement adéquat. Cette situation se traduit par des pratiques d’assainissement souvent néfastes à la santé des populations. Mal gérés, les excréta constituent une source des maladies multipliant les risques de diarrhées, de fièvre typhoïde ou de dysenterie parmi les populations.

Objectif général de l’étude :

Analyse comparative des villes de chaque pays cible, afin de déterminer une ville par pays avec le plus fort potentiel d’impact de plaidoyer autour de l’assainissement autonome.

Objectifs spécifiques :

1.     Analyser la situation socio-économique et politique de chaque pays/villes ;

2.     Déterminer les différents types de système d’assainissement autonome existant au niveau des pays/villes ;

1. Identifier l’existence ou non de documents de politique sur l’assainissement dans les pays concernés, et en faire l’analyse ;
2. Analyser les actions entreprises par rapport à la gestion des boues de vidange dans ces pays/villes ;
3. Analyser le niveau d’engagement des autorités locales vis-à-vis de l’assainissement autonome dans ces pays/villes ;
4. Identifier et analyser les facteurs sous-tendant l’adhésion ou non (résistances/préoccupations) des politiques et autorités locales aux services d’assainissement autonome ;
5. Déterminer le niveau de pénétration et d’acceptation des actions de plaidoyer autour de l’assainissement ;
6. Identifier les opportunités, défis et leviers d‘action pour agir sur les barrières et obstacles aux changements de comportement durable en matière d’assainissement autonome ; 
7. Identifier les différents facteurs qui favorisent, renforcent ou freinent le recours aux services d’assainissement autonome de base ;
8. Déterminer une ville par pays à plus fort potentiel, sur la base d’une argumentation solide ;
9. Formuler des recommandations et orientations visant à renforcer l’utilisation des services d’assainissement.

Pays visés par l’étude :

 Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée

Méthodologie :

-       Revue documentaire

Livrables :

    Le plan et la méthodologie de travail revus et validés ;

    Un rapport préliminaire ;

    Un rapport final intégrant les orientations de la réunion de partage du rapport préliminaire ;

Chronogramme des activités :

La structure ou le consultant soumissionnaire devra intégrer à sa proposition technique un chronogramme détaillé des activités prenant en compte l’impératif de livrer un premier rapport préliminaire au plus tard 1er mars 2018.

Date de réception des offres : au plus tard le mercredi 31 janvier 2018

Soumission des offres :

Les offres doivent parvenir au plus tard le mercredi 31 janvier 2018 à 18 : 00 heures au bureau de Speak Up Africa, situé au 18 Avenue L.S. Senghor X Jules Ferry - BP 3837 – Dakar Sénégal sous pli fermé avec la mention : « Réponse à APPEL A MANIFESTATION D’INTERET POUR LA MISE EN ŒUVRE D’UNE ANALYSE SITUATIONNELLE POUR DETERMINER TROIS VILLES D’AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST AVEC LE PLUS FORT POTENTIEL D’INTEGRER UN SYSTEME D’ASSAINISSEMENT COMPLET, PRENANT EN COMPTE LA TOTALITE DE LA CHAINE DE VALEUR.» ou par mail à sophietou.diop@speakupafrica.org.

Les plis devront comprendre :

-      Les CV des associés principaux ;

-      Une offre technique détaillant la méthodologie proposée et incluant un calendrier indicatif des activités ;

-      Une offre financière détaillée avec les honoraires journaliers des personnes ressources ;

-      Une note revenant sur les expériences acquises pour des études similaires.

L’étude sera conduite par un Bureau d’études national ou le consultant soumissionnaire qualifié en recherche, combinant les approches qualitative/qualitative, sous la supervision du comité de pilotage restreint du projet.

Profil Consultant international :

·      Etudes supérieures en Socio-anthropologie (PHD) 

·      Expérience d’au moins 5 ans dans le domaine de la recherche en sciences sociales et des études.

·      Connaissance des programmes de d’assainissement /hygiène serait un atout

Profil du bureau d’études :

• Spécialisation dans les études à caractère sociologique, sondages d’opinion.
• Expérience dans le domaine d’études ou d’enquêtes démographiques et de santé.
• Expériences dans le domaine d’enquêtes.
• Capacités analytiques.

Conférence de presse de la 7ème édition de l'Initiative Multilatérale sur le Paludisme

L'Initiative Multilatérale sur le Paludisme (MIM) est une alliance d'organisations et de personnes concernées par la recherche et le contrôle du paludisme en Afrique fondée à Dakar en 1998. Le MIM vise à promouvoir la collaboration mondiale et à renforcer les capacités de recherche dans les pays endémiques du paludisme en Afrique nécessaires pour développer des outils et des politiques de lutte contre le paludisme.

Tous les 3 à 4 ans, le Secrétariat du MIM, en collaboration avec un groupe d'institutions basées en Afrique, organise la Conférence Panafricaine sur le Paludisme.

Vingt ans après la première édition, la Conférence MIM revient en terre sénégalaise grâce à une forte mobilisation de la communauté internationale et une volonté avérée de tenir la Conférence à nouveau en terre francophone.

Le Sénégal a adhéré à toutes les grandes initiatives internationales dans le cadre de la lutte contre le paludisme et ne cesse de confirmer son rôle de chef de file comme en témoigne la publication des excellents progrès dans le rapport de l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) 2017, dans un contexte mondial marqué par une stagnation de l’évolution vers l’élimination de ce fléau.

Le consortium dirigé par le service de Parasitologie de la Faculté de Médecine de l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop a été, après une compétition ayant engagé plusieurs institutions, sélectionné pour organiser et accueillir la 7ème conférence panafricaine sur le paludisme à Dakar.

La 7e conférence MIM aura pour thème : “Dakar II : Deux décennies de progrès, défis et de perspectives pour mettre fin au paludisme”.

Trois mille personnes provenant de tous les continents, Afrique, Europe, Asie et Amérique sont attendues du 15 au 20 avril 2018 au Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf (CICAD).

En prélude à la tenue de la 7e édition du MIM, le comité d’organisation de la Conférence composé du Ministère de la Santé et de l’Action sociale, du Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation, du Service de Parasitologie de la Faculté de Médecine de l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop et de Speak Up Africa, accompagné de Monsieur Youssou Ndour, Ambassadeur de bonne volonté et Champion de la lutte contre le paludisme, a organisé une conférence de presse Mardi 9 Janvier 2018 à 15h30 au Radisson Blu.

Ending Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Gateway to Universal Health Coverage

Today is a big day for the public health community! Today marks the launch of the 5th progress report and scorecard of the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)!

A perfect opportunity to highlight the results achieved to date thanks to a dynamic partnership composed of philanthropic organizations, private sector companies and key intergovernmental organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO). Together, we made great strides in reducing the burden caused by NTDs throughout the world. In 2011, just under 2 billion people required interventions against NTDs. This figure dropped to 1.5 billion in 2016, representing a decrease of over 400 million who no longer require preventive chemotherapy. In 2016 alone, more than one billion people, in the world’s poorest countries were treated for at least one NTD. That’s one in seven of the world’s population who received treatment!

For those who do not know what NTDs are: NTDs are a group of communicable diseases that affect 1.56 billion people globally. Though preventable and treatable, NTDs continue to cause severe disfigurement and other long-term disabilities that create obstacles to education, employment, economic growth and overall development.

In 2016, Speak Up Africa started an amazing journey with the WHO-nested project ESPEN (the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases). ESPEN strives to bring governments and the NTD community together to strengthen partnerships around NTDs. The Special Project provides national NTD programmes with technical support they need to break the cycle of poverty caused by NTDs. The African continent still holds close to 40% of the global NTD burden and it’s time that we reverse the trend. Fostering participatory approaches will give vulnerable populations the power to make their own decisions on interventions to improve their health and well-being at the community, while ensuring, at the regional and global levels, that all our efforts bring us closer to our 2020 NTD elimination target. Now is the time to defeat NTDs.

About ESPEN

The Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) is a five year project which was launched by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in May 2016 to provide national NTD programmes with technical and fundraising support to help them accelerate the control and elimination of the five Neglected Tropical Diseases amenable to Preventive Chemotherapy (PC-NTDs) with the greatest burden on the continent, namely Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil Transmitted Helminthes and Trachoma, which collectively affect hundreds of millions of people.

Learn more about ESPEN here: http://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/expanded-special-project-elimination-neglected-tropical-disease and join us to #BeatNTDs!

Growing Gap in Global Malaria Efforts Calls for Renewed Leadership

Tremendous gains reducing malaria cases and deaths since 2000 now in jeopardy. Nigeria, DRC and Rwanda top the list of high-burden countries, while Sri Lanka, Senegal and Madagascar show success is possible

Geneva (29 November 2017) – Unprecedented global progress in fighting malaria since 2000 is at stake unless countries redouble their efforts, according to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) today.

The World Malaria Report 2017 shows fragile and uneven progress in global efforts against malaria, an entirely preventable and treatable disease, which puts half the world’s population at risk and costs a child’s life every two minutes.

According to the report, malaria-related cases and deaths worldwide stand at 216 million and 440,000 respectively, a flatline in the tremendous gains of the past 16 years in the fight against malaria. The report sends a clear warning that progress could be in jeopardy and resurgence is on the rise.

“Limiting malaria’s devastating impact on families, communities and countries has been one of the global health success stories of our time. Since 2000, thanks to significant investment, strong political leadership and new tools, we have saved nearly 7 million lives from this deadly disease. Today, we have an opportunity to save millions more by renewing our resolve and commitment, as a global community, to end malaria for good,” said Dr Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, Chair of the Board of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

Achievement of global targets at risk

The first of the global targets on the path towards achieving a vision of a malaria-free world is to reduce malaria cases and deaths by 40% by 2020 over 2015. If current trends continue, this and other elimination targets will be largely missed.

“A plateau in global funding has contributed to gaps in coverage of life-saving interventions, and it will only worsen if countries don’t make malaria a priority. We need global and domestic funding to step up if we are to double the malaria investment to meet the US$ 6.4 billion-a-year need by 2020. Staying focused on ending malaria will help achieve global commitments to end all communicable diseases and strengthen health systems,” said Dr Kesete Admasu, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

Growing gap between countries

The report shows a growing gap between high-burden countries, many of which have seen a greater than 20% increase in malaria cases and deaths, and those that are on the path towards malaria elimination. Rwanda has seen the greatest increase in malaria cases since last year — around 1 million, while Madagascar has the greatest decrease of more than 800,000.

Two African countries — Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — account for 37% of global malaria burden and require the biggest investment in tackling malaria over the coming years.

According to the latest RBM Partnership gap analysis, between now and 2020, DRC will require an additional 23 million long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) and an extra US$ 536 million to sufficiently protect its population from malaria. Nigeria, in turn, will need around 72 million additional LLINs and faces a funding gap of US$ 690 million between now and 2020 for procurement and delivery of essential commodities alone. Currently, 13 Nigerian states have no dedicated funding to fight malaria.

Meanwhile, countries such as Senegal and Sri Lanka are showing that beating malaria is possible. Sri Lanka was certified as malaria-free by WHO in 2016, a milestone largely achieved through domestic financing. Senegal has seen its malaria cases decrease by around 250,000 since last year, and is among a handful of countries that have upped their per capita spending on malaria in the same period. A nationwide malaria campaign “Zero malaria starts with me” is engaging Senegalese citizens to keep malaria high on the agenda.

“When we put our mind to it, we can effectively control malaria and even eliminate it once and for all here in Senegal and beyond. Communicable diseases like malaria know no borders and Senegal will need to strengthen its current collaboration with neighbouring countries to defeat the disease together,” said Prof. Awa Coll Seck, Senegal’s Minister of State and an RBM Partnership to End Malaria Board Member.

New and emerging threats call for new responses

Between 2000 and 2015, funding and the widespread uptake of new effective tools like artemisinin-based therapies, better diagnostics and insecticide-treated bed nets, led to a 60% decrease in malaria deaths. However, new responses are needed to address growing concerns over drug resistance in the Mekong region, insecticide resistance in large areas of Africa, as well as an upsurge of malaria in humanitarian hotspots including Yemen and Venezuela.

“More investment is needed to increase the effectiveness of current tools and hasten development of new tools such as next generation insecticides, drugs and vaccines to stay ahead of rising resistance,” said Dr Altaf Lal, Senior Advisor on Global Health and Innovation, Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries and RBM Partnership to End Malaria Board Member.

Call for renewed global leadership in 2018

In April 2018, the global community will have an opportunity to come together to renew and reinforce its commitment to end malaria. A High-Level Event on Malaria, during the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, accompanied by a public campaign, will convene leaders across government, business, science and beyond to take bold action in the malaria fight.

Meanwhile, a “Multilateral Initiative on Malaria” Conference in Dakar will bring together scientists and malaria experts from around the world to advance the next generation of research and innovation needed to accelerate progress against the disease.

For more information: Xenya Scanlon, RBM Partnership to End Malaria, +41 79 520 3637, xenya.scanlon@rollbackmalaria.com, rollbackmalaria.com, #endmalaria

About the RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria is the largest global platform for coordinated action against malaria. Originally established as Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership in 1998, it mobilises for action and resources and forges consensus among partners. The Partnership is comprised of more than 500 partners, including malaria endemic countries, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions.

Universal access to sanitation, a human right recognized by the United Nations since 2010

"4.5 billion people around the world still do not have access to improved sanitation services in 2017. Sanitation remains a major challenge around the world knowing that 80% of the world’s wastewater is released daily into the environment with no appropriate treatment. As November 19 marked World Toilet Day, Speak Up Africa would like to take this perfect opportunity to highlight the work of Ms. Lena Tall Faye, one of the very few women leading incredible work on sanitation in Senegal.” 

For Lena Tall Faye, Sanitation Isn’t Just a Business, It’s a Calling

As a young girl growing up in the Sine Saloum region of Senegal, Lena Tall Faye experienced first-hand the indignities and dangers of being without safe sanitation. Like most women and girls in Africa, Lena was responsible for maintaining the family’s rudimentary facilities and ensuring good hygiene as best she could. When the manual emptier showed up to dispose of her village’s waste, she and her seven siblings knew how important it was to stay away. They understood that severe illnesses could arise from exposure to that waste, which could be devastating to their family.

Fast forward 20 years later, and Faye is now at the forefront of bringing safe sanitation to Senegal and the entire African continent. As founder and CEO of Delta and one of the most successful woman leader in West Africa’s sanitation sector, she’s not only providing dependable, affordable sanitation services to millions of people, she’s also playing a pivotal role in revolutionizing the way African countries deal with their waste.

Determined to Be a Dependable Provider

From the very beginning of her life, Faye exhibited an unwavering dedication to her family. As the oldest child, she felt responsible for helping her hardworking mother, “a brave, uneducated woman, a housewife and mother of eight children who did everything in her power for us to live in good conditions,” according to Lena. While she very much wanted to complete her education, Faye decided to quit middle school and train in the area of dactylography, the study of fingerprints. That led to a job at a local bank.

But working at the bank didn’t provide the kind of security Lena wanted. After a few years, the bank decided to restructure and announced a series of layoffs. Every three months, a group of staffers were let go. “Each time I felt this sword of Damocles hanging over my head, knowing that one day, I could wake up and just lose my job. This unbearable feeling and this untenable situation triggered me, and I realized I could not sit idly by, waiting to be fired and unable to support my family.”

That’s when Lena’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. While still holding down her position at the bank, she went to the Dakar Chamber of Commerce and created a cleaning company called Delta. She did it without a loan and without financial help from her family. Her first assignment was to provide general maintenance to a large school, which she did by hiring contract workers.

Contributing to the Greater Good

Being a woman with tremendous drive, Lena knew she wanted to expand her business, and that’s when she looked to the sanitation sector. “I often saw draining trucks around my place of work. At home, we had manual emptying, so I was familiar with the draining process. I said to myself, why not invest in this sector? Not only to make money, but also to contribute to improving people’s living conditions.”

And that’s exactly what she did. She began by investing in a single emptying truck, but every time it broke down, the business would come to a halt and she’d have to rent trucks to satisfy her customers. So she got a second truck. Then more contracts led to a third truck. “The more you eat, the bigger your appetite. Therefore, the more trucks I bought,” Lena explained. She now has 20 trucks and between 100 and 200 employees at any given time.

What started as a determination to support her family eventually became a commitment to providing much-needed employment to members of her community, along with a better, safer living environment. “Sanitation is a calling, Lena said. “It’s not just about making money, but also contributing to the good health of people.”

On the Cutting Edge of Waste Management

That calling led to Delta joining a consortium of septic tank emptying companies known as Delvic, which was selected by the Senegalese government to partner with ONAS, the national sanitation utility, to manage the nation’s four faecal sludge treatment plants. Under Lena’s leadership, this private entity has helped dramatically improve the management, efficiency and profitability of the treatment plants.

What’s more, Delvic focuses on the entire sanitation value chain, from collection to treatment to enhancement of the sludge. Working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Delvic is overseeing the test site for the world’s first Omniprocessor, a groundbreaking waste treatment plant that turns raw sewage into drinking water, as well as ash that can be used as a soil amendment and electricity. With diseases due to poor sanitation causing about 700,000 African children to die each year, the Omniprocessor is an opportunity to combat those deaths while also producing lifesaving drinking water and other high-quality goods.

How to Succeed as a Woman in a Man’s World

Knowing how critical—and lucrative—the sanitation sector is, Lena is vocal about encouraging more women to get involved. But she’s also the first to point out that trying to make inroads in such a male-dominated industry is extremely difficult.  “You have to fight, have willpower, accept failure, then get right up,” she advises her fellow women. “And above all, be psychologically and mentally strong.”