A study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the herbal derivative is as effective as the usual medical treatment, quinine, in treating children with malaria. The advantage, though, is it can be administered to children in remote areas who may not survive the journey to a health facility. Roll Back Malaria, which aims to halve the number of malaria cases by 2010, is also making malaria prevention more affordable by reducing or abolishing taxes and tariffs on insecticide-treated bed nets. This will require 32 million nets and 320 million insecticide retreatments each year. What we now need is for African governments, the international community and the private sector to strengthen partnerships and expand the resource base so that we can scale up action.
Infectious diseases are major barriers to economic and social development.