Statement by USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios on the President's Initiative on Malaria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
Contact: USAID Press Office
WASHINGTON, DC - Andrew Natsios, Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), made the following statement today:
"I welcome President Bush's new Initiative on Malaria, which will dramatically increase malaria funding in selected countries and will allow us to make a qualitative leap in the fight against malaria.
"This initiative will include the purchase of the key supplies needed to expand both prevention and treatment programs, including Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs), the most effective drug to combat malaria, and long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets. In addition, the U.S. will help developing countries' national malaria programs conduct indoor residual spraying with insecticides, implement training programs, and improve logistics. As the President stated, the program will focus on outcomes and impact with an ultimate goal of reducing malaria mortality rates in these countries by 50 percent.
"As the President noted, the United States will begin implementing this initiative in Angola, Tanzania and Uganda. This will be a collaborative partnership, working hand in hand with programs at the country level, private sector partners and other U.S. government agencies.
"In the context of the developing world, malaria is more than an issue of health. It is a disease that disrupts the daily patterns of life, the livelihood of families and villages, and often steals the future of Africa's children. We must do everything within our power to curb the spread of this terrible disease -- a disease that is preventable and curable.
"We support the President in this new step forward, and look forward to continuing our important and vital work with the international community."
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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