Introduction

Malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as hookworm and schistosomiasis, are major public health problems that exert a massive burden on society. Each year, about 3 million people die of malaria worldwide, and over 500 million people in Africa are afflicted with neglected tropical diseases.

The UN Millennium Project's Quick Impact Initiative, endorsed by the September 2005 UN World Summit, marks a crucial opportunity for scaling up best practices and developing new approaches and financing strategies to help achieve the sixth Millennium Development Goal — Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases— and its related targets.

The Quick Impact Initiative is committed to the integrated control of malaria and neglected tropical diseases in participating countries by ensuring full-scale implementation of national programs; securing appropriate production of treatment and prevention tools; developing an intensified global advocacy campaign; and leveraging greater international financing for these diseases.

In addition to malaria, the Quick Impact Initiative will focus on seven main neglected tropical diseases:

• Ascariasis
• Trichuriasis
• Hookworm
• Schistosomiasis
• Lymphatic Filariasis
• Onchocerciasis
• Trachoma

Quick Impact Initiative Goal

The goal of the Quick Impact Initiative is to scale up best practices and develop new approaches and innovative financing strategies to attain significant reductions in the burden of malaria and neglected tropical diseases between 2006 and 2008 in Africa, with initial emphasis on 10 Quick Impact countries.