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WHO and Monaco forge new links to end malaria in Sahel

With 93% of the world’s malaria deaths occurring on this continent, the Principality of Monaco and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa have forged a new partnership that ultimately aims to Africa without malaria.

The partnership was signed on 28th May 2019 at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. It provides for the payment of €2 million by the Prince’s Government over a period of 5 years. The funds will help WHO to work with 8 countries (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Chad) in the Sahel region to accelerate the elimination of malaria. More than 374 million people in this region are at risk of contracting the disease, which is preventable and treatable.

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“Only with the generous support of our donors and partners will WHO achieve the common goal of a malaria-free future in Africa,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for HIV and AIDS, Africa. “Grants such as that of the Principality of Monaco help to ensure that we continue to progress, especially in the countries most affected by this disease.”

For Mr. Gilles Tonelli, Government Advisor-Minister of External Relations and Cooperation of the Prince’s Government, “this new investment is a recognition of the enormous burden that malaria places on African countries, and the crippling effect of this disease on the socio-economic development of the region.”

The agreement between the Principality of Monaco and WHO will contribute to the work of the Regional Office for Africa, providing technical support and advice to the eight Sahel countries. It includes helping to strengthen programs, improving technical capacity as well as collaboration and coordination in the subregion.

The relations between the Principality of Monaco and the WHO Regional Office for Africa have been ongoing since 2007. Monaco has supported WHO in the fight against Malaria in Southern Africa and polio in Niger, the strengthening of the national system Madagascar and health emergencies during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.

A grant of €3.65 million in 2010 – 2018 also helped to strengthen the surveillance of malaria, evidence-based programming in the context of malaria elimination and to contribute to subregional coordination.