2013
Special Envoy Thanks Participants in Historic Net Initiative to Protect 400 Million
by Ray Chambers
The Special Envoy sent the below letter on 30 August 2013 to the leaders of this historic effort.
Dear friends and colleagues,
I wish to thank you for the excellent outcome of the consultation in Copenhagen last week. The forecast of almost 190 million mosquito nets to be procured and distributed over the next year is unprecedented. This is the largest ever globally-coordinated net initiative, and we project that these nets will protect nearly 400 million people at risk of malaria, and save the lives of more than 1.3 million children.
With only 850 days remaining until the MDGs must be achieved, and our clear target of near-zero death from malaria by Dec 31, 2015, our collective action in Copenhagen is exactly what the world needs at this time.
The historic moment in malaria prevention that you were part of brought together 13 leading manufacturers of mosquito nets, plus ten international members of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership to consult on how to ensure timely access to quality nets. I wish to thank the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNICEF for arranging for the consultation and the latter for hosting it.
As you know, malaria remains one of the top three killers of children, the majority of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The consultation between suppliers and global partners will contribute directly to acceleration in reaching the malaria-specific targets laid out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Evidence shows that the impact of using Long-Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLINs) is almost immediate.
The tenders will be issued over the next few months, starting with the Global Fund in early September. These come at a critical time in the fight against malaria. The Global Fund, the US President’s Malaria Initiative, The UK Department for International Development, UNICEF and other partners are positioning to replace worn-out nets that were delivered during the massive scale-up in 2010 and to achieve universal coverage in all malaria endemic countries. I also wish to thank the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), for its role as an essential partner in the tracking of financing and distribution as well as planning for the nets that will be procured.
Once again, thank you for your participation and I look forward to the acceleration of financing commitments, production, delivery and distribution of LLINs as we speed up towards the achievement of the MDGs.
Yours sincerely
Ray Chambers