Chair,
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies welcomes the opportunity to address this Assembly, and to pledge its support in observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family. Children under 5 years of age and pregnant women in malaria endemic areas and in developing nations are at especially high risk of dying.
We are committed to join with other partners in efforts to enhance family health and to generate new activities aimed at reducing global mortality from malaria, in combination with immunization activities and other health interventions, when significant impact can be achieved rapidly and at low cost. It is our hope that our work with our partners will make a real contribution to the international community's basic objectives, especially in the context of the Millennium Development Goals.
We take this very seriously, especially because of the work which will be required if we are to meet Target 8 and halt spread of malaria by 2015 and begin to reverse the incidence of the disease.
The International Federation, and its more than 45 member National Societies in Africa, recognize the severe burden of disease and death imposed by malaria on children and mothers; the impact of malaria on economic and social development; the availability of cost-effective interventions for treatment and prevention; and the commitment of the Roll Back Malaria partners to mobilize resources and to scale-up control efforts towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals and the targets set for 2005 by the Abuja Malaria Summit.
These objectives are consistent with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' mission to improve the life and health of the most vulnerable individuals and families, and with their capacity to mobilize thousands of community volunteers, to extend the reach of health services towards their intended beneficiaries.
The International Federation at global level, and National Societies at country level, are playing an increasing role as partners in global health alliances against major public health problems, working with national governments and Ministries of Health, and with WHO, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the UN Foundation and other global, regional and local partners.
In addition to their traditional role in disaster and outbreak response activities, Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers have been increasingly engaged in ongoing disease control programs, including HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Polio Eradication and others.
Since 2001, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have taken an active part in mass vaccination campaigns against measles, as part of the Africa measles partnership, spearheaded by the American Red Cross. By the end of 2005, more than 200 million African children will have been vaccinated, preventing several hundred thousand measles deaths annually.
These renewed efforts in measles control have offered opportunities to accelerate other important interventions, including the mass distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets for malaria prevention among children under 5 years and pregnant women.
Demonstration projects were conducted with success in selected districts in Ghana in 2002 and in Zambia in 2003. A nationwide campaign is under preparation in Togo for December 2004, combining measles vaccination with nationwide distribution of mosquito nets to eligible households, with participation of Red Cross volunteers for community mobilization before and during the campaign.
In partnership with the Togo Ministry of Health, local WHO and UNICEF staff, other NGOs, and with a number of other partners, we look forward to a substantial impact on malaria morbidity as a result of this nationwide partnership effort.
Chair,
In January 2004, WHO and UNICEF issued a joint statement calling for combining malaria control activities with immunization activities, when possible, either during Supplementary Immunization Activities (such as measles vaccination campaigns), or on a regular basis through routine immunization services
The International Federation welcomes and supports this policy development. We look forward to working with WHO, governments and other partners to implement the WHO/UNICEF comprehensive strategies for measles mortality reduction and for scaling-up malaria control activities.
National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent and their volunteers will work with you towards increasing demand for these interventions.
We support the call for strengthening partnerships at the global, regional and national levels. As an international organization with a bridging role, we believe that a broader involvement of NGOs as partners to their respective national governments is crucial to achieving better health for all families.
The successful mobilization of civil society and the involvement of communities and families in their own health issues are the very core of our Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. Communities can thus sustain essential public health interventions which will result in improved health for the most vulnerable populations.
In this way we can together achieve the desired progress towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals.