The World malaria report 2010 fra WHO viser, at der er fremskridt i kampen mod malaria. Alligevel er målet for 2010 langt fra nået.
GENEVA, 14th December 2010: A massive scale-up in malaria control programmes between 2008 and 2010 has resulted in the provision of enough insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) to protect more than 578 million people at risk of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
The World malaria report 2010 describes how the drive to provide access to antimalarial interventions to all those who need them is producing results.
But new commitments for malaria control appear to have levelled off in 2010 at 1,8 billion US dollar, still far short of the estimated 6 billion required for the year in the battle against a disease that kills a child in the world every 45 seconds, nearly 90 per cent of them in Africa, the World Malaria Report 2010 says.
Downward trend in malaria
In Africa, a total of 11 countries showed a greater than 50 per cent reduction in either confirmed malaria cases or malaria admissions and deaths over the past decade.
A decrease of more than 50 per cent in the number of confirmed cases of malaria was also found in 32 of the 56 malaria-endemic countries outside Africa during this same time period.
Morocco and Turkmenistan were certified by the Director-General of WHO in 2009 as having eliminated malaria.
Results: the best in decades
The WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, highlighted the transformation that is taking place:
– The results set out in this report are the best seen in decades. After so many years of deterioration and stagnation in the malaria situation, countries and their development partners are now on the offensive. Current strategies work, she said.
The number of deaths due to malaria is estimated to have decreased from 985.000 in 2000 to 781.000 in 2009. The largest absolute decreases in deaths were observed in Africa.
In summary, the report highlights the importance of maintaining the momentum for malaria prevention, control, and elimination that has developed over the past decade. While the significant recent gains are fragile, they must be sustained.
It is critical that the international community ensure sufficient and predictable funding to meet the ambitious targets set for malaria control as part of the drive to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
