Global Health and Business Leaders Announce 36-Month Effort to Expand Malaria Control in Africa; 3.5 Million Lives Could be Saved in Five Years, S...( DAVOS Switzerland Jan. 25 /- 3.5 ...),Health

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- 3.5 million lives could be saved over the next five years through the rapid scale-up of malaria prevention and treatment measures in the 30 hardest hit countries in Africa, according to a new report released today at the World Economic Forum. Additionally, rapid scale-up would increase annual economic output by as much as $30 billion in Africa, prevent 672 million malaria cases, and free up 427,000 needed hospital beds over five years.

"We Can't Afford to Wait: The Business Case for Rapid Scale-up of Malaria Control in Africa," was prepared by Malaria No More and McKinsey & Company on behalf of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM). Providing specific cost and impact data as part of a rigorous business analysis, the report makes a compelling humanitarian and economic case for expanded access to proven malaria-control tools such as long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets, life-saving anti-malarial medicines, and targeted insecticide spraying.

Current spending on malaria control in Africa is roughly $1 billion a year. The Malaria No More/McKinsey & Company report estimates that prevention and treatment measures could be brought to scale in the 30 African countries that together account for roughly 90 percent of global malaria deaths for approximately $2.2 billion a year over five years. This is an achievable and justifiable investment that would produce vastly superior results than the current trajectory, the report concludes.

Field studies show that as coverage levels rise, infection rates drop off more quickly, creating a situation of increasing returns. In comparison to the current projected growth in coverage, a rapid scale-up effort would save an additional two and a half million lives, prevent an additional 430 million malaria cases, and generate $20 billion more in annual GDP after five years. Rapid scale-up would also be far more cost-effective, saving twice as many lives for ever
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