[afro-nets] Measles deaths in Africa plunge by 91% (2)

["Peter Burgess" <peterbnyc@gmail.com>]

Dear Colleagues

Thank you Leela McCullough for passing on this interesting message.

However, it is such a shame that the financial dimension of this success is not included ... in several feet of text and embedded statistics about success there is only one reference to money ... $470 million that has been mobilized ... in the following context below: "... Since its launch in 2001, the Initiative has supported vaccination efforts in over 50 countries and mobilized more than US$ 470 million with help from partners such as the GAVI Alliance.."

It is quite impressive that in Africa deaths from measles fell by 91% between 2000 and 2006, from an estimated 396 000 to 36 000 and deaths fell 68% worldwide – from an estimated 757 000 to 242 000. ... but what about the money and resource dimension?

Does anyone know how much this cost? What resources were deployed to get this done? Where did the resources come from? How much of this was in country resource mobilization and how much was international grants or loans? How much annual resource is needed to keep the measles disease in check and not have a dramatic resurgence?

And there is a related question of how much should this have cost if the work was done in an optimal manner?

I don't know how there can be an informed and intelligent dialog about important matters of health (and other sectors) unless the financial facts are part of the discussion. My impression is that not many people want this because the cost effectiveness of so much in the relief and development (and public) sector is so very poor.

Sincerely

Peter Burgess

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Peter Burgess
The Transparency and Accountability Network: Tr-Ac-Net in New York
http://www.tr-ac-net.org
IMMC - The Integrated Malaria Management Consortium Inc.
http://www.IMMConsortium.org
+1 917 432 1191 or +1 212 772 6918  
mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com