"We are making significant progress in the fight against malaria in Africa. At l east 10 African countries had, until last year, reduced malaria caseloads and de a ths by 50 per cent. If we continue scaling up our efforts, we should see better r esults in the next five years," Kazakstine said here Monday.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Summit which is discussing the issue of maternal and child health, Kazakstine praised t he "strong leadership" provided by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) t o eliminate the disease and accelerate the sharing of malaria control practices.
With the support of some 30 African nations, ALMA is committed to attaining the targets of the 2000 Abuja Declaration by the AU leaders on rolling back malaria.
The declaration, among other things, required member countries to waive taxes on anti-malaria products.
Though many African nations have over the past decade made tariff reductions on the commodities, it was reported at the Summit that some countries had continued to collect tariffs and taxes on those products "due to inconsistencies in the wa y these goods are identified and coded when they arrive at ports of entry".
World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Louis Gomes Sa mbo, said it was possible for Africa to control and eliminate malaria if every c o untry followed right interventions and a set of controls approved by WHO.
Sambo mentioned Eritrea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia, Botswana, Cape V erde, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zanzibar as countries that have achie v ed over 50 per cent reduction of annual malaria cases.
"Some 4.2 million lives could be saved annually by 2015 and about 200 million pe ople spared from the debilitating effects of malaria every year if we manage to h ave universal coverage," Sambo added.
Meanwhile, World Bank Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said that African populations should see malaria not just as a health problem but also as a n economic and development problem.
She said over the next three years, the World Bank would increase financing for malaria control in Africa to the tune of US$ 1.1 billion, in addition to the US$ 200 million it recently disbursed for accelerating the process of providing bedn e ts.
"It is important that African leadership recognizes the importance of tackling m alaria," Ezekwesili said, suggesting that if resources were made available to el i minate malaria in DR Congo and Nigeria "that would significantly reduce the impa c t of malaria on the rest of the continent.
"Effective use of resources in the health sector is vital. Everything that helps tackle misappropriation of funds or corruption is very crucial and it will help partners to continue focusing on the fight against malaria in Africa."
Kampala - Pana 26/07/2010
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