World Malaria Report 2017 gives the world a wake-up call

The World Malaria Report was launched today giving the world the wake-up call it needs if we want to end malaria this generation.

The report highlights the good, the bad and the opportunity we have to defeat malaria in our generation.

The progress that’s been made so far is immense. Almost seven million lives have been saved since the initial commitment to protect millions from malaria was made in 2000. But we’ve become complacent. Malaria is a complex disease with new strains arising and new battles to face with each step of progress that’s made. We can’t take our foot off the pedal or malaria cases will rise again. The World Malaria Report shows that we’re doing just this. Here’s how:

• Most cases of malaria (90%) are in Africa. Despite great progress being made in this area, the report shows that cases are on the up again, with an increase of five million since 2015
• A child dies of malaria every two minutes. With all the progress that’s been made this is still a shocking realisation that needs to be addressed now
• More funding is needed. With new innovative methods being developed to tackle the emerging resistance around malaria, we need to up our bank balance if we want to up our progress.

At the London launch at Speaker's House, Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP said that despite the 'real progress' that's been made so far, it's now stalled and:

"...urgent action needs to be taken" to ensure this progress isn't undone."

We can still reach our goal to be the generation that eliminates malaria! Malaria can be beaten, the progress that’s been made is testament to that but we need to get moving. We’re at a crossroads: We can either slam our foot on the pedal now and reach our goal of elimination or, we can continue as we are, in cruise control, and watch all the amazing progress that’s been made become undone. We have a choice.

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