Economic and Social Council

 
46th plenary meeting
30 July 1998

 1998/36 - Malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, in particular cholera

The Economic and Social Council,

Reaffirming agreed conclusions 1993/2 of the coordination segment of its substantive session of 1993 on coordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies and other bodies of the United Nations system in the fields of preventive action and intensification of the struggle against malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, in particular cholera, 1/

Recalling its resolutions 1994/34 of 29 July 1994 and 1995/63 of 28 July 1995 and General Assembly resolutions 49/135 of 19 December 1994 and 50/128 of 20 December 1995, Agenda 21 2/ and General Assembly resolution S/19-2 of 28 June 1997,

Noting with concern that malaria and diarrhoeal diseases remain prevalent in developing countries, especially in Africa, and also noting their dire consequences for health and development in Africa,

Recognizing that these diseases especially afflict people living in poverty, that effective and affordable means of preventing and treating them are available and that combating them is an effective and essential element in eradicating poverty and fostering development,

Noting the leadership role in global malaria control given to the World Health Organization in General Assembly resolution 49/135 and Economic and Social resolution 1995/63, and the role of the World Health Organization in directing and coordinating international efforts to prevent and control these diseases,

Acknowledging the important contributions of the United Nations funds and programmes and the role of the United Nations Children's Fund and other bodies of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and a wide variety of individuals and organizations in controlling these diseases,

Noting in particular the critical role of industry in supporting research and development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostic tests that will further improve the efficacy of preventive and control efforts and the catalytic role being played by the United Nations Development Programme/World Bank/World Health Organization Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases in the development of new disease control products, in collaboration with industry,

Warmly acknowledging the statement supporting malaria prevention and control made during the summit meeting of the Heads of State of the Group of Eight, held in Birmingham in May 1998, and the pledge of 60 million pounds made at that time in support of the Roll Back Malaria initiative of the World Health Organization,

1.Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on preventive action and intensification of the struggle against malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, in particular cholera; 3/

2.Supports the actions taken in 1997 and 1998 with respect to malaria prevention and control in the context of African economic recovery and development by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity;

3.Appreciates the actions taken to strengthen research in endemic countries of Africa under the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria in Africa, an initiative widely supported by members of the international development community and by scientists within those endemic countries;

4.Welcomes the Roll Back Malaria initiative of the World Health Organization supporting the existing African initiative on malaria;

5.Requests the United Nations, and appeals to international organizations, multilateral financial institutions, the specialized agencies, organs and programmes of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other groups, to join as partners in this initiative by, inter alia, contributing technical and financial support;

6.Notes that vaccines provide some of the most effective means of preventing disease and that vaccine development, although now made more feasible by multiple developments in the field of biotechnology, remains a difficult and long-term task highly deserving of increased financial support;

7.Stresses the importance of adopting and implementing national plans of action in countries where malaria is endemic in conformity with the Global Strategy for Malaria Control of the World Health Organization; 4/

8.Urges international development partners, in collaboration with private industry, to intensify their efforts to develop and widely distribute vaccines and other remedies against malaria and diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera;

9.Calls upon the international community, in particular the donor countries, to expand, where possible, fund-raising channels and to provide adequate financial resources and medical and technical assistance to the affected developing countries, in particular African countries and the least developed countries, for the successful implementation of work plans and projects and the achievement of significant progress, in both the short and the medium term, in controlling malaria, and to intensify basic and applied research on anti-malarial vaccines as a priority;

10.Urges the Director-General of the World Health Organization to continue to provide, in collaboration with the United Nations Childrenžs Fund and other concerned United Nations agencies and programmes and other relevant international organizations such as the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research and the International Vaccine Institute, technical expertise and support to endemic countries;

11.Requests the Secretary-General to submit a progress report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2001 on the implementation of the present resolution, to be prepared by the Director-General of the World Health Organization in collaboration with other relevant organizations, organs, bodies and programmes of the United Nations system.

Notes

1/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/48/3/Rev.1), chap. III, sect. B, para. 33.

2/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex II.

3/ E/1998/20.

4/ World Health Organization, A Global Strategy for Malaria Control (Geneva, 1993).

Date last posted: 6 December 1999 17:53:10
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