Fri, April 24, 2009
LUSAKA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Malaria deaths in Zambia have declined by 66 percent. This result has made the country an example of successfully fighting the disease in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Thursday.
The United Nations health agency noted that largely thanks to a huge increase in the distribution of mosquito nets over the last two years, malaria mortality rates in Zambia have been cut by 66 percent, surpassing its 2010 Roll Back Malaria target of more than50 percent.
"This is a remarkable achievement and a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the Ministry of Health of Zambia and its partners to combat malaria," said Lus Gomes Sambo, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
On World Malaria Day, celebrated on April 25, Zambia's efforts will be promoted as a model for other countries to follow.
"I urge all countries affected by malaria to intensify and sustain malaria control and elimination efforts in order to meet the 2010 goal of 100 percent coverage," Sambo added.
"Zambia stands as an example of what we can achieve throughout Africa through the combination of universal access to bed nets and effective malaria medicines," said Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund, which provides two thirds of all resources for malaria control worldwide.
According to the WHO, Zambia started its accelerated malaria control campaign in 2003 when approximately 500,000 insecticide-treated nets were distributed and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) started in seven pilot districts through a grant from the UN-backed Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Between 2006 and 2008, some 3.6 million long-lasting insecticidal nets were handed out in the southern African nation, coinciding with a 47 percent decline in malaria deaths during the same period.
