Africa counts greater successes against malaria

Abstract

Africa is making progress against malaria thanks to the return of indoor residual spraying campaigns the provision of free insecticide-treated mosquito bednets and the adoption of new-generation treatments. There has also been increased funding for malaria by governments and donor agencies and as a result several countries are registering falling morbidity and mortality. Some countries are already putting forward strategies for eliminating malaria which kills more than 1 million people annually 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Awa Marie Coll-Seck executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership an initiative of WHO UNICEF the UN Development Programme and the World Bank says successes in countries such as Mali Senegal Benin and Togo are providing optimism that by 2010 the malaria burden will be reduced by half. (excerpt)