African Leaders Malaria Alliance(ALMA), an alliance of 41 African heads of state and government working to end malaria-related deaths on the continent, has expressed concern over funding of malaria, saying that the funding gaps are threatening malaria fight drive.

The alliance in a release indicated that there was an estimated gap of USD $3.3 billion in funding needed to achieve and sustain universal coverage of essential malaria interventions, including artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), to the end of 2015.

The current global funding crisis, as evidenced by the postponement of the Global Fund Round 11, it indicated was threatened further reduction in malaria deaths in Africa currently put at 33 per cent by the World Health Organsation(WHO).

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and the chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance declared: “The malaria campaign is emerging as a standout success in the effort to improve the health and welfare of mothers and children, but we cannot lose focus now. There is a moral and economic imperative to fill the malaria funding gap.”

In a bid to intensify efforts to close financing gaps and improve  commitment to malaria fight, the ALMA members agreed to use World Bank IDA allocations to protect malaria health gains and prevent the resurgence of malaria; increase African financing for health toward the Abuja target of allocating 15 per cent of public sector budgets to health.

In addition, they agreed to deepen Africa’s commitment to transparency through the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability and Action, an innovative tool that tracks progress across key health indicators as well as pursue innovative financing approaches to expand the resource pool for health.

The release, stated that seven ALMA member countries–Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Tanzania – received special recognition for removing all taxes and tariffs on malaria-related commodities, banning dangerous monotherapy treatments, or on making significant progress on malaria control.

At the ALMA meeting which featured a tribute to President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania, the founding Chairperson of ALMA, President Kikwete stated: “We have come a long way in the fight against malaria. Many challenges lie ahead, but working with partners we will continue our progress toward creating an Africa where no one dies of a mosquito bite.”

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