Gambia malaria progress hailed
Malaria interventions vital for progress against the disease
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Friday, 31, Oct 2008 07:54
Medical experts have renewed their call for concerted global action against malaria as a study shows much of the disease's burden has been alleviated in the Gambia.
The small west African state saw substantial drops in incidences of malaria between 1999 and 2007.
Research published in this week's Lancet shows the proportions of malaria admissions fell by 74 per cent, 69 per cent and 27 per cent over the period.
Significant increases in malaria funding and interventions to pregnant women and young children are attributed with the success.
Extra resources have been used to increase the number of insecticide-treated bed nets distributed threefold between 2000 and 2006.
But coverage for children younger than five years nevertheless stands at 49 per cent and much more needs to be done.
"If elimination is to be possible in the long term in this part of Africa, it will take sustained investment in delivering available interventions, and will also need the development of new weapons such as a vaccine to give people immunity, or further tools to attack the mosquito vector," the authors note.
Despite this, they conclude major progress is being made in the Gambia, which continues to find economic prosperity conclusive and relies heavily on the export of peanuts.
"During the past few years, efforts to control malaria in Africa have expanded to a level that has not been seen since the time of the malaria eradication programme 50 years ago," the study concludes.
Professor Peter Byass of Umea University in Sweden believes the international community must not diminish its efforts against malaria.
"It seems that 21st century malaria can only be tackled effectively with a globally integrated approach that will enable action on health information, determinants, and interventions," he writes.
"This unprecedented opportunity needs to be grasped firmly by all parties."