Sen. Coons (D-DE), former Reps. Royce (R-CA) and Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and leaders highlight progress against malaria, need for strong, committed investments
WASHINGTON—Last night on Capitol Hill, United to Beat Malaria and Malaria Roundtable partners brought together lawmakers, global health leaders, and advocates for a World Malaria Day reception. Speakers underscored the United States’ track record in leading malaria prevention and eradication efforts, reminding us why we cannot step back from the fight against malaria.
“We have made steady progress year after year in treatments, in engagement, in prevention, in education, and we are achingly close to the wide deployment of vaccines,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), co-chair of the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Caucus. “I am encouraged that we are continuing to provide support for the distribution of malaria preventing commodities. But frankly, today we should be celebrating two new malaria vaccines, not wondering whether the funding to deploy them is about to disappear. This has been a good, purposeful, positive, sustained investment by the American people that has saved millions of lives in dozens of countries.”
“We’re still in a situation today — despite knowing what causes malaria and knowing how to stop it — where there’s 600,000 deaths a year,” said former Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA). “The United States of America, home of Walter Reed, who figured out how to stop malaria, has a very storied history of our own struggle. Today the world looks towards the United States because we have the opportunity to shut down malaria once and for all. But to do it, we have got to continue our focus on leading, not abdicating this responsibility.”
“Let’s be clear: Our investment in malaria, through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, our support for the Global Fund, and more recently, the procurement of malaria vaccines through Gavi is one of the smartest, more impactful matters that we can do,” said former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). “Malaria programs make America more prosperous. U.S.-led malaria research fuels innovation in biotechnology benefits, benefiting health outcomes here at home and around the world. Sustained U.S. leadership in the fight against malaria is not only a humanitarian duty, it’s a strategic, economic, and moral imperative.”
From eliminating malaria within our borders in the 1950s to helping cut malaria deaths by nearly half across 30 countries through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S.-led and supported malaria programs have saved millions of lives globally, protected Americans, and strengthened our economy.
Global health programs, including malaria programs, have enjoyed strong bipartisan support since their inception. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have long recognized that investing in global health makes America, and the world, safer and healthier.
That’s why it’s crucial that congressionally approved funds reach malaria programs, including PMI and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria frontline work; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s surveillance and monitoring of malaria transmission to keep Americans safe; and the work of UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to roll out new and emerging tools in this fight. With the rainy season approaching across most of Africa, millions of children and families could be even more vulnerable to malaria if these critical funds do not reach frontline programs.
“These programs save lives, they protect Americans, and they can help us achieve a malaria free world,” said Margaret McDonnell, Executive Director of United to Beat Malaria. “The fight is winnable, and we need to stay in this. Decades of investment and progress are at risk, and millions of lives are on the line.”
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