Featuring presentations and discussions on

• Malaria Elimination
• Malaria and Mobile Populations
• Awards for the 2009 Malaria Champions of the Americas

Concept and Objectives:

Malaria Day in the Americas which will be observed for the third time on 6 November 2009 is envisioned to be the platform upon which countries of the Region can engage in a year-round aggressive campaign against the disease. Specifically, Malaria Day in the Americas seeks to attain the following objectives:

• Improve the communication process and extension of advocacy work to all stakeholders and target audiences.
• Enhance visibility/interest on Malaria in the Region of Americas and the global scourge that the disease brings to peoples of the world.
• Increase awareness and understanding of the key issues among target audience/population.
• Catalyze change of attitudes and modification of behaviors.
• clients and strategic partners.
• Encourage increased and enduring support to efforts against malaria, including the elimination of local transmission in areas where such is feasible.

Partners and malaria stakeholders in the Region are encouraged to consider this concept and objectives in the commemoration of Malaria Day in the Americas 2009.

Key Figures:

To achieve universal coverage by 2010, the GMAP requires the following interventions:

• More than 700 million insecticide-treated bed nets – half of those in Africa
• More than 200 million of doses of effective treatment
• Indoor spraying for around 200 million homes annually

Approximately 1.5 billion diagnostic tests annually
To reach universal coverage with appropriate interventions by 2010 in the Americas:

• 17 million LLINs need to be in place in 2010;
• 5 million of households need to be sprayed with insecticides;
• 40 million parasitological diagnostics are needed to confirm suspected malaria fever cases; and
• 2.7 million first-line treatments with chloroquine / primaquine and ACTs are needed.

By 2010, through targeting universal coverage:

• Global malaria cases are reduced by 50% of the 2000 levels: 175-250 million cases annually and less than 500,000 deaths annually from malaria.

• Global malaria deaths are reduced by 50% from 2000 levels.

In the Americas, achievement of the target for 2010 and the malaria-specific UN MDG for 2015 means:

• Decreasing annual malaria cases from approximately 1.15 million in the year 2000 to 575,000 by 2010 (50% reduction) and to 287,000 by 2015 (additional 25% reduction)
• Reducing malaria deaths from 348 in the year 2000 to less than 174 (50% reduction) and to less than 87 (additional 25% reduction)

Globally and in the Americas,

• Effective, long-term malaria control is inextricably linked to the strength of health systems. Strong health systems can deliver effective safe, high-quality interventions when and where they are needed and assure access to reliable health information and effective disease surveillance. At the same time, integrating malaria treatment, prevention and surveillance into existing health programs and activities in endemic countries will ensure that funding earmarked for malaria control contributes to the development, expansion and continuous improvement of national health systems.
• The international community has recognized the importance of health systems strengthening in combating the major poverty-related diseases in the poorest countries of the world.

Success stories in the Americas (between 2000 and 2008) include…

• 50.4% reduction of malaria cases in the region
• Approximately 77% reduction in malaria mortality
• 7 countries with >75% reduction in annual malaria cases which indicates achievement of malaria UN MDG for 2015
• 5 countries with 50% to <75% reduction in annual malaria cases which indicates achievement of RBM targets for 2010
• 6 countries with <50% decrease in annual malaria cases indicating stronger malaria control status
• At least 4 countries are currently on pre-elimination status and an additional 5 other countries are working towards malaria elimination
• (Source: Malaria Country Reports to PAHO/WHO-AMRO for 2008)

Investment needed worldwide to achieve these global goals:

• $5.3 billion USD in 2009
• $6.2 billion USD in 2010
• $5 billion USD annually from 2011 to 2020 to sustain progress
• $1 billion USD annually for research and development of new prevention and treatment tools

In the Americas, the investment needed for malaria control and elimination are:

• $227 million USD in 2009
• $261 million USD in 2010
• $219 to 226 million USD annually from 2011 to 2020 to sustain progress
• $120 million USD annually by 2025 if current trends are sustained

 Malaria Day In The America 2009 Info Sheet

 Malaria Day in the Americas Brochure Nov. 2009