October 1999 Findings occasionally reports on development initiatives not assisted by the World Bank. This article is one such effort. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group, the Government of Ghana, or the banks and NGOs mentioned. The majority of the 3,000 deaths each day, and ten new cases every second occur in Africa.
Malaria is on the rise.
Emerging drug and pesticide resistances threaten to reduce the availability of effective and affordable prevention and treatment of malaria. While there is no magic bullet for malaria, a range of cost-effective interventions exist, namely antimalarials for treatment, prophylaxis, insecticide treated materials and residual spraying with insecticide. New tools are available and are continually being developed, such as treatment for severe malaria, rapid diagnostic tests, and combination drug therapy to prevent resistance. As access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment are essential to reducing the burden, malaria can only be effectively controlled within the context of broader health sector development. The initiative aims to reduce global malaria mortality by 50 percent by the year 2010.