Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product, GDP, could rise by a staggering $35 billion if the UN's target to achieve a 90 percent reduction in malaria cases by 2030 is met, a new report by Malaria No More UK, has found.
The report titled "The Malaria Dividend" study which foresees an additional $126.9 billion in GDP growth for other African countries, predicts that the continent's overall GDP will rise by nearly $127 billion, translating to an average annual increase of nearly $16 billion amounting to more than 10 percent of collective annual spending on health for all countries in Africa.
Kenya and Angola are also expected to see substantial gains, with projected increases of over $9 billion and $8.5 billion respectively.
This economic boost to Africa has the potential increase of $31 billion in global exports to malaria-endemic African nations, and translates to significant gains for G7 countries, with a projected rise of nearly $4 billion. The US could see a $1.5 billion increase, and the UK over $450 million. The figures highlight the economic benefits of malaria eradication, alongside the well-established humanitarian gains.
The report suggests that these economic benefits could be reinvested in strengthening healthcare systems, including better diagnostics, a more robust workforce, and improved primary care infrastructure. This would not only benefit these countries in the fight against malaria but also better prepare them for future health threats.
The analysis comes ahead of the G7 Summit hosted in Italy on June 13-15, 2024. During her country's presidency, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made a priority of working in partnership to stimulate economic growth in Africa, including investments in the continent's health systems. The World Health Organization estimates that malaria interventions have already prevented 2.1 billion cases and 11.7 million deaths between 2000 and 2022.
The G7 has helped establish global health initiatives such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which plays a vital role in increasing access to vaccines, and The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which has long been critical to increasing access to tools and treatments to combat malaria.
For the first time, Gavi will have two effective malaria vaccinations available for its next investment case due to launch on June 20. When accompanied by tools such as next-generation bed nets, these vaccines will play an important role in revitalising the fight to end malaria, which has stalled in recent years.
Chief Executive Officer of Malaria No More UK, Dr Astrid Bonfield, said: "Investing more in the fight to end malaria can save millions of lives, grow African economies and boost trade. This can unlock new funds to bolster health spending and strengthen health security in African countries and globally, showing how malaria investment can rebalance economic power and deliver wide-ranging benefits.
"The rise in global trade with African countries also allows other nations to keep the disease at bay by sustaining malaria research and development funding and continuing to invest in life sciences more widely to tackle other infectious diseases.
"In a storm of global challenges, G7 and malaria-endemic countries can work hand in hand to drive greater investment in malaria, through Gavi and The Global Fund to save lives, unlock prosperity and strengthen health security."
The CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Dr Michael Charles, said: "Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease but it continues to needlessly cost lives and hold back endemic countries from making critical social and economic gains. We must prioritise our 2030 target of reducing malaria by 90% compared to 2015 levels to end this tragic cycle.
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"The investment gap for fighting malaria remains problematic, preventing a more rapid and systematic rollout of the tools and treatments which we already have and which we know work. But this research provides yet another case for investing in tackling this disease.
"While the upfront costs may seem substantial, the reality is that the benefits of reaching our goals far outweigh the costs. With the right investment, we can implement the appropriate malaria control strategies worldwide, save lives, and see economies substantially boosted through a combination of local growth and international trade."
