Maravi

Belgium princess urges holistic approach to malaria fight

Belgium princess urges holistic approach to malaria fight
By Mutale Kapekele in Livingstone
Friday April 25, 2008 [04:00]

THERE is need for a holistic approach in fighting malaria, visiting Princess Astrid of Belgium has said. And executive director of the roll back malaria partnership Dr Awa Marie Coll-Seck has said $3 billion is required to fight malaria in Africa. Meanwhile, the executive director of the United Nations UNITAID Dr Jorge Bermudez has said $100 million has been released by his organisation to fight malaria in three projects around the world.

Speaking after a tour of the Livingstone General and Batoka Hospitals yesterday, Princess Astrid said malaria was a stubborn disease that required the efforts of everybody to fight. “Partnerships are the best way to fight this disease. We need people from all sectors of society to join hands and get rid of malaria,” she said.

And Dr Coll-Seck said only $1.2 billion dollars of the $3 billion needed to effectively fight malaria in Africa had been raised.
Briefing the press on this year’s World Malaria Day, which falls today, Dr Coll-Seck said more funds were needed to reach people who were living in the malaria endemic areas.

She also said climate change had led to an increase in malaria cases even in countries where it had been eradicated.

And Dr Bermudez said his organisation released $100 million for malaria programmes in eight countries, including Zambia.

“The international drug purchase facility of UNITAID has committed $100 million to provide more than 60 million artemisinin combination therapies over the period 2007 - 2011 and will continue to work with its partners to increase the availability and affordability of quality anti-malarial medicines.

Labels: MALARIA

posted by MrK @ 3:57 AM