[afro-nets] Is elimination of malaria in Africa by 2010 unrealistic?

General afro-nets
1

Is elimination of malaria in Africa by 2010 unrealistic?
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Dear Afro-Netters,

At the Special Summit of the African Union on AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria, which held in Abuja, Nigeria last week, African heads of
states and governments, ministers and other leaders committed
themselves to a number of targets to be reached by 2010, towards
reversing the ruinous impact of the three diseases on the continent.

One of the targets set at the meeting is "to ensure that malaria
prevention and control is accelerated with the goal to eliminate
malaria in Africa by 2010 using all available control strategies".
(1)

The summit also called on African governments to "Accelerate the
prevention and control of malaria, learning from best practices on
the continent with the aim of eliminating malaria in Africa using all
available control strategies including indoor residual spraying, use
of insecticide-treated nets, ACT combination therapy and intermittent
prevention therapy". (2)

Both during the summit itself and after, arguments have raged about
whether or not the target (of eliminating malaria by 2010) is
realistic. Some commentators, mainly from Western donor agencies and
multilateral institutions such as the WHO, have described the target
as 'unrealistic', 'daydreaming' or 'unachievable'.

Is this a fair judgement? If all African governments were to devote
sufficient resources to fighting malaria, and deploy ALL available,
scientifically-proved methods for preventing and treating malaria
(including indoor and outdoor spraying, use of ITNs, ACTs), would it
be impossible to eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the
incidence of malaria in Africa by 2010 - four years away? If the
target is to be met, what steps or approaches to eliminating (as
opposed to 'rolling back) 'malaria do African governments need to
take?

Your informed opinions and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

Omololu

1. Paragraph 15, Abuja Call for Accelerated Action Towards Universal
Access to HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Services in Africa
2. Paragraph 14, Abuja Call for Accelerated Action Towards Universal
Access to HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Services in Africa

--
Omololu Falobi
Executive Director
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria
Media Resource Centre on HIV/AIDS & Rep Health
44B Ijaye Road, Ogba, Lagos
PO Box 56282, Falomo, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +234 1 7731457, 8128565

Plot 139 Monrovia Street
Off Aminu Kano Crescent
Wuse 2, Abuja
Tel: +234 9 6721744
mailto:omololu@nigeria-aids.org
http://www.nigeria-aids.org

2

Is elimination of malaria in Africa by 2010 unrealistic? (2)
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Dear Colleagues

I was interested to see the report from Omololu Falobi about the AU's
Special Summit in Abuja and the discussion about malaria.

If the problem was in the middle of North America or the middle of
Europe I think we would all agree that a problem of malaria would be
handled way before 2010. With adequate funding, the problem of malaria
can be resolved ... and quite quickly.

I have done a considerable amount of work to try to understand how
much it would cost to use the very best practices in science,
technology, operations and management to address the malaria crisis in
all of Africa ... and it is getting very interesting. The model has a
long way to go before it will be in a presentable form, but it is far
enough along to show me that there is a huge difference in the cost
effectiveness of a well managed integrated mosquito and malaria
control (IMMC) program and one that has the initiatives going on in an
uncoordinated manner.

What is clear is that medical interventions without some serious
reduction in the mosquito vector and reinfection is a formula for
disaster ... both in terms of cost and in terms of build-up of
resistance.

It is also clear that getting the scale correct can make a big
difference in cost, and in the achievement and maintenance of malaria
free areas.

Unfortunately very little of the writing about malaria includes much
about cost and results ... I am slowly building enough knowledge about
these matters for the model to start to be useful ... but because of
the tremendous importance of the interactions between the various
variable, and the cost of the various interventions, I have not yet
been able to get to a sensible but relatively simple optimization.

What is clear is that a rather modest investment (by capital market
standards) could go a long way towards the 2010 goal discussed in
Abuja.

With best regards

Peter Burgess
mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com
http://www.Tr-Ac-Net.org

3

Is elimination of malaria in Africa by 2010 unrealistic? (3)
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Dear Peter,

Bravo, I am in complete agreement with you sir.

Craig Audiss
mailto:cybrcollectinc@yahoo.com