Malaria, a preventable and treatable disease kills more than 600,000 people worldwide annually with Africa bearing the heaviest burden. In response to the stunning figures, the government of the United Kingdom, (UK), has announced it will improve access to drugs to help tackle one of the biggest killers of children in sub-Saharan Africa.
On April 25, a day commemorated globally as World Malaria Day, the UK announced a £7.4 million support for MedAccess, saying it will be used to negotiate lower prices for vital malaria drugs and diagnostic tests for people in countries affected by the disease.
A statement from the British High Commission in Yaounde to our newsroom said the funding brings total UK support to MedAccess to £17.4 million. This, it said, will help one million people access new diagnostic tests and 120 million patients to receive anti-malarial treatments.
MedAccess guarantees sales volumes of drugs in markets where demand is uncertain so 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, it said.
Malaria deaths are preventable
Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said thanks to British science, there is now a 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 quoted Andrew Mitchell.
Africa continues to shoulder the heaviest malaria burden, representing 94 per cent of global malaria cases and 95 per cent of global malaria-related deaths.
Cameroon is one of eleven hardest-hit countries on the continent. Others include Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The African countries, plus India – are collectively responsible for over 70 per cent of the global malaria incidence and 73 per cent of global malaria mortality. In 2022, approximately 166 million malaria cases and 423,000 malaria deaths occurred in these 12 countries, according to WHO.
The UK government announcement came as three West African countries; Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone announced a large-scale rollout of the UK-Indian developed RTS,S vaccine targeting millions of children in the countries.
22 countries to roll out vaccine
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, the statement said.
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, the statement said further.
“We are deeply grateful for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO’s) continued support, which enables MedAccess to improve access to products for HIV, TB, and malaria in support of Global Fund programmes” said Michael Anderson, Chief Executive Officer for MedAccess.
“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 statement further quoted Michael Anderson.
