Effective malaria control programs have led to dramatic declines in death in some countries, but obstacles remain in many of the world's poorest places. But there remains much to be done. I hope that international and national agencies, encouraged by the progress, will commit additional resources so that actions to Roll Back Malaria can be scaled up and millions more can benefit. The rising numbers of people affected by malaria overwhelms national health services, sustains poverty and weakens societies, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where ninety percent of the cases occur. The cost of prevention and treatment consumes scarce household resources and the disease continues to have a negative impact on the health of children.
Malaria is much more than a health issue.
We need to give them those defenses. We have seen in Asia, Latin America and some African countries that malaria can be controlled with the right tools and resources. We need to work aggressively with local NGOs and the private sector to fight malaria at the local level, and work with governments to scale up local programs into national strategies. The program, funded by a private sector multinational company and supported by international and other UN agencies, helped reduce malaria cases by over 50 percent during its first year of operation. In Ethiopia, incorporating community participation in the Tigray region has led to a 40 percent reduction in overall death rates among children under five.