UK announces US$9.3M boost to fight malaria globally

UK— The United Kingdom has announced a £7.4 million (US$9.26 million) funding initiative to increase global access to malaria treatments and testing, with the goal of reaching more than 50 million people by 2027.

This funding, provided through MedAccess, will cut the cost of innovative health products addressing HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, thus multiplying the impact of organizations such as Gavi and the Global Fund.

The financing will make it easier to negotiate cheaper pricing for crucial malaria treatments and diagnostic tests, which will benefit impacted countries.

 With this allocation, the total UK assistance for MedAccess will increase to £17.4 million (US$21.77 million), which is expected to help 1 million individuals with innovative diagnostic tests and give anti-malarial medications to 120 million patients.

MedAccess offers secure supply and cheap costs by guaranteeing sales volumes in unpredictable markets and providing payment assurance to manufacturers regardless of demand changes.

This announcement coincides with the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Day, underlining the continuous commitment to combat the illness through increased funding, community empowerment, and political participation.

 UK-Indian produced malaria vaccines will be deployed in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Benin, increasing access to life-saving medicines, which is especially important in Sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria remains a primary cause of child mortality.

Speaking during the event, Andrew Mitchell, Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa, emphasized on the need for affordable access to important drugs, envisioning a future in which malaria-related deaths are 100% avoided, citing the UK’s commitment to MedAccess.

For his part, Michael Anderson, CEO of MedAccess, praised the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) for their assistance in expanding access to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria medications.

He went on to emphasize MedAccess’ commitment to utilizing financial innovations to improve affordability and accessibility, underlining the renewed funding’s relevance in furthering malaria preventive and control efforts worldwide.

Despite malaria being preventable and treatable, over 600,000 deaths occur annually worldwide.

The roll-out of the UK-Indian-developed RTS,S vaccine in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Benin marks a pivotal step towards malaria eradication.

Collaboration between British scientists and Indian manufacturers has yielded two critical malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, already benefiting millions of children in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and recently in Cameroon.

So far, 22 countries are set to adopt the vaccine, with Gavi aiming to immunize over 6 million children against malaria by 2025, supported by UK funding, furthering the global fight against this devastating disease.

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook. 

Newer Post

Thumbnail for UK announces US$9.3M boost to fight malaria globally

SOPHiA GENETICS, Syndicate Bio partner to bring advanced cancer diagnostics to Africa

Older Post

Thumbnail for UK announces US$9.3M boost to fight malaria globally

Bristol Myers Squibb teams up with Cellares to boost CAR-T manufacturing

Be the first to leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.