Health – “Funding cuts threaten malaria reversal in sub-Saharan Africa”
By The Urban Gazette Health Desk
A landmark new analysis warns that cuts to global malaria-control funding could trigger one of the worst reversals in Africa’s fight against the disease. According to the report co-commissioned by Malaria No More UK and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), a mere 20 % drop in funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria may result in an additional 33 million malaria cases, 82,000 extra deaths and an economic loss of USD 5.14 billion by 2030. If funding collapsed entirely, the situation could escalate to 525 million more cases, 990,000 deaths (including 750,000 children under five) and a staggering USD 83 billion GDP loss.
The report highlights that volatile climate events, humanitarian crises and growing resistance to insecticides and antimalarial drugs are compounding the challenge. The analysts stress that African countries are already bearing heavy debt burdens and recovering from the COVID-19 shock, making them more vulnerable as external funding dries up.
Why this matters for Uganda
While the study is regional rather than Uganda-specific, the implications for Uganda are serious. Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country, and any drop in international support could undermine local control programmes, vector-control operations and health-system readiness. For Ugandans, this means potential setbacks in child health, higher treatment costs and increased strain on public hospitals.
What to watch
Whether major donor governments respond by pledging or restoring funds.
How African governments balance domestic health spending with external shortfalls.
The ripple effect on community-level malaria programmes (nets, spraying, diagnostics) and how long it takes before a resurgence becomes visible.
