The UK Government has allocated about 7.4 million euros to bolster medical access and facilitate negotiations for lower prices of malaria drugs and diagnostic tests for individuals diagnosed with malaria worldwide.
This initiative aims to enhance access to drugs, addressing one of the leading causes of child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to a statement from the UK Embassy, over 600,000 individuals succumb to the infection annually.
The announcement, made on World Malaria Day, seeks to elevate the issue of malaria on the political agenda while mobilising additional resources and empowering communities.
This funding brings the UK’s support to Med Access to a total of £17.4 million, enabling one million people to access new diagnostic tests and providing anti-malarial treatments to 120 million patients.
It is projected that within three years, over 50 million people, particularly those in countries most in need, will have access to essential medication and other forms of support. Additionally, the UK’s backing for Med Access will ensure that countries can afford to offer their populations the best protection against the disease.
Furthermore, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Benin are set to commence their initial rollout of the UK-Indian developed RTS, S vaccine, which has been in use in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi since 2019. Cameroon has become the first country to administer the vaccine to children as part of routine immunisation programs.