Goal #6Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases
Introduction
Malaria, together with HIV/AIDS and TB, is one of the major public health challenges undermining development in the poorest countries in the world. Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds. Many children who survive an episode of severe malaria may suffer from learning impairments or brain damage. Pregnant women and their unborn children are also particularly vulnerable to malaria, which is a major cause of perinatal mortality, low birth weight and maternal anaemia.
The Targets
Goal 6 of the Millennium Development Goals sets out by the year 2015 to:
- Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.
Did You Know?
- In sub-Saharan Africa, there are currently 4.1 million people with AIDS who are in immediate need of life-saving anti-retroviral drugs. (Source:WTO)
- Currently more than 11 million children in Africa have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS; that number is expected to reach 20 million by 2010. (Source:UNAIDS/UNICEF)
- There are 42 million people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. It is a global emergency claiming approximately 8,000 lives every day in some of the poorest countries. (Source:Oxfam)
- 1 in every 100 people worldwide is HIV positive: One third of them are aged 15-24.(Source:ActionAid UK)
- Approximately 40% of the world's population-mostly those living in the world's poorest countries-is at risk of contracting malaria. Malaria causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths annually.
Achieving the Goals
Rose Rwabasinga, a widow living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda sold her car and land to support her family. In 2004 with the support of international donors, the government of Rwanda began providing free antiretroviral drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS. "It was a catastrophe! I had nothing left to sell," remembers the mother of three, "If the free drugs had come just a little later, I could certainly have died."
Goal News
African heads of state rededicated themselves to the 1997 Harare declaration and pledged to halve malaria deaths by 2010. Yet with just one year left to the deadline, malaria remains one of the leading health hazards in Africa. The 2008 World Malaria Report indicates that malaria claimed 881,000 lives in 2006, of which 91% (801,000) were in Africa, while 85% were children under 5 years of age. In addition, half a billion African people became ill and unable to work.
Accra: Agenda For Action
NEW YORK – Ministers from over 100 countries, heads of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, donor organizations, and civil society organizations from around the world gathered from September 2-4 2008 in Accra for the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
Their common objective is to help developing countries and marginalized people in their fight against poverty by making aid more transparent, accountable and results-oriented.
It is the 7th anniversary of the pledge by African Union member states to allocate 15% of national budgets to health. In a statement to mark the anniversary, Archbishop Tutu stated:
According to the draft Health Service Development Plan (HSDP) joint UNDP and Ministry of Heath report of 2005, the per capita health service expenditure of Ethiopia is rated at 5.9 US dollars, the least among a list of other developing countries such as Kenya (31 USD), Uganda(18 USD), and Tanzania(8 USD). The report also indicated that in order to meet MDGs Ethiopia needs to increase the health service expenditure to 34 USD.
During the next week, US President Bush will meet with leaders of five African countries and review the progress to increase economic development and the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria
The five countries on the itinerary are: Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia. Before leaving for the trip, the first lady and the President gave a speech at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington DC about their expectations for the trip.
