Australia To Provide $3M for Malaria Control Efforts in the Philippines

The Australian Agency for International Development will contribute $144 million Philippine pesos, or about $3 million, to the Philippines for the country's Roll Back Malaria program, Stephen Smith, Australia's minister for foreign affairs, announced recently at the Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting, GMA News reports. According to Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith, the additional funding will expand RBM's existing coverage from 12 to 16 provinces in the country's Mindanao region and contribute to malaria elimination in the Rizal province and the Visayas island group.

The new phase of the project, which will run until 2011, will focus on maternal health, child health, indigenous populations and internally displaced people. This phase also aims to integrate the management of the country's National Malaria Control Program and improve malaria awareness, control, diagnosis and treatment in malaria-endemic areas. The project will be implemented by the World Health Organization and the Philippines' Department of Health (GMA News, 12/31/08). According to Rod Smith, Australia supports the government of the Philippines in its effort to eliminate malaria from the country by 2020. "Malaria continues to place a significant economic, social and health burden on communities and local government units in the Philippines," he said, adding that this is particularly true in "remote areas where access to and availability of basic health services is limited" (Australian Embassy release, 1/5). He added that the project will focus on "high-risk" areas in low-income areas of the southern Philippines. In addition, the project aims to help the Philippines achieve the sixth United Nations' Millennium Development Goals target to reduce the incidence of malaria and other diseases by 2015.

Since the 2000 implementation of the RBM project, malaria cases have decreased by 32% and malaria deaths have decreased by 86% in 12 provinces in the Philippines' Mindanao region. About six million people have benefited from the project, GMA News reports. According to Rod Smith, the Agusan del Sur province -- which has received support from Australia since 1995 and expanded support through the RBM project -- has reported a 1% malaria prevalence and no malaria deaths between 2004 and 2007. However, malaria remains the eighth leading cause of death in the Philippines and is endemic in 59 of the country's 81 provinces, according to the Australian embassy. The Australian government intends to provide 4.4 billion Philippine pesos, or about $93 million, to the Philippines for development assistance from 2008 to 2009, GMA News reports (GMA News, 12/31/08).