Global Malaria Partnership Praises Obama's Commitment to Malaria
Remarks at the conclusion of the 16th Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board Meeting by Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Executive Director
Geneva, 15 May 2009: - Following a tremendous second commemoration of World Malaria Day last month, and as our 16th Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board meeting concludes, we would like to recognize and thank U.S. President Barack Obama for his increased support of malaria control worldwide, as evidenced in the recent release of his 2010 budget request to Congress.
President Obama seeks to expand U.S. malaria programs by more than $200 million in 2010, with malaria control and prevention efforts totaling $585 million. These funds will fully support the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), which has contributed to dramatic reductions in malaria mortality across Africa.
We have only twenty months to achieve the collective target of universal coverage of malaria control interventions, and President Obama exemplifies the kind of leadership needed to help us reach that mark and realize Millennium Development Goals. To spur action on a disease that affects 3.3 billion people, the malaria community has agreed to the Global Malaria Action Plan, the GMAP. It is the universal roadmap to ensure nationwide malaria control, elimination and eventual eradication.
We are pleased that the U.S. and other governments, endemic countries and private sector stakeholders have invested nearly $2 billion USD to the global malaria response in 2008. But this is a critical year for malaria, and the time is now to boldly commit new resources to finance existing solutions and roll out GMAP in all malaria endemic countries. With this new budget, President Obama demonstrates that even during these challenging economic times, the U.S. commitment to fighting malaria is not waning, it is increasing.
On behalf of the Partnership, I thank you, Mr. President. We applaud your unwavering commitment to the fight against malaria and look forward to working with you to end these preventable deaths.
Pru Smith - Geneva
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