3rd Meeting of the Global Partnership to

3^rd Meeting of the Global Partnership to
Roll Back Malaria
Geneva, 2-3 February 2000

During 1999, partners worked together to initiate RBM efforts in more than 20 countries. At all times they have attempted to ensure that the priorities of countries and their people are central to plans for intensified action to Roll Back Malaria. Special efforts have also been made to support effective action to Roll Back Malaria in countries affected by complex emergencies.

Thus far, partners have worked in a semi-formal framework, bound together by a common purpose, agreed strategy and shared values. As I see it, partners are united in their commitment to the widespread application of effective actions to Roll Back Malaria at community level, and to support the development of new and cost-effective interventions. Each partner has worked to maximize the collective efforts of all partners at global regional and country level through transparent processes of consensus building and negotiation, rather than tight agreements and formal governance structures. Thus far, partners have not agreed overarching goals or ways of working: some have suggested that a statement of common purpose is now necessary and I attach a draft for consideration (Attachment 1).

The WHO Cabinet Project has attempted to help Roll Back Malaria partners work together. During its 18 month preparatory phase, it has established a small partnership secretariat, a communications, advocacy and resource mobilization unit, a team to co-ordinate the monitoring and evaluation of Roll Back Malaria efforts, a group to consider options for scaling up action to Roll Back Malaria, and a team to liaise between malaria control personnel and the research community. In addition, WHO continues to provide consistent and evidence-based guidance on the technical aspects of malaria control.

The 3rd meeting of the global partnership has been designed as an opportunity for partners already actively involved in rolling back malaria to meet, to take stock of progress to date, to continue working together, to address issues of common concern and to consider how best to intensify action to Roll Back Malaria. Partners who are interested but are not, thus far, actively involved, will have the chance to see the partnership in action and to participate as much as they wish. There will also be opportunities to hear from individual partners about issues of particular interest (e.g., the forthcoming African Heads of State Summit in Abuja). In addition, the new partnership web-site and advocacy materials will be on display.

Meeting participants are not expected to pass resolutions, make binding decisions or to deliver pledges of financial or other support to Roll Back Malaria action. However, there will be occasions to indicate interest in and commitment to the partnership – to reflect on the contributions made at country, regional or global levels, and to consider how the partnership could be more effective at each level.

Participants will also have the opportunity to suggest ways in which the WHO Roll Back Malaria Cabinet Project can best support partners’ efforts. They will be invited to comment on proposals for future meetings of the partnership. Finally, partner agencies that have made financial contributions to the WHO Cabinet Project will be provided the chance to examine ways in which these resources are being used and the results that have been obtained.

In order to enable the large number of partner representatives to have the maximum opportunity to interact with each other, and to pursue particular issues, we plan to have limited time in plenary sessions. Instead, we have proposed four distinct <tracks> in the meeting

Proposal: The purpose of the RBM partnership
27^th December 1999

Goals: To enable people to halve the burdens they experience as a result of malaria by the year 2010 through

Intensified application of existing tools for malaria control
- Use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and materials by all children and women in endemic areas
- All persons at risk of malaria to be able to access, and use, effective treatment ideally within 8 hours, and certainly within 24 hours, of the onset of symptoms
- All pregnant women at risk to receive preventive (PIT) therapy
- All countries (and communities) at risk of malaria epidemics to be able to respond effectively within one week of an outbreak being confirmed
development and rapid deployment of novel, cost effective products, approaches and interventions

Principles: To achieve these goals, current efforts must be greatly intensified and made much more effective, building on promising initiatives already underway and learning lessons from the past.

There will be stronger emphasis on enabling people, and their communities, to make decisions and take actions that safeguard their health and improve their well-being in a sustainable manner (people at risk are at the centre of Roll Back Malaria).
Successful efforts to Roll Back Malaria will be characterised by more effective activity within communities, with an increased focus on the needs of poor and marginalised groups, and greater involvement of public and private entities within and outside government, from health and other sectors (the movement to roll back malaria)
Roll Back Malaria movements will depend on functioning local-level and national health services: this implies continued, and stronger, action to improve responsiveness, quality and coverage of health care for all high-burden illness experienced by poor people, through health sector (and sub-sector) development (RBM promotes health sector development)
Roll Back Malaria movements will also be influenced - both positively and negatively - by what happens outside the health sector: this implies much more emphasis on inter-sectoral initiatives for human development (RBM calls for inter-sectoral action)
Those involved in Roll Back Malaria movements will only be able to work together in harmony if the institutions (whether within countries or from outside) who offer political, financial, or technical backing co-ordinate more effectively and strive to agree on intentions and strategy (The basis of Roll back malaria is functional and flexible partnerships at local, national, inter-country and global levels)