Similarly, various other sectors are affected. The health, social and economic implications of Malaria pose a formidable challenge and leaves us in a dilemma. Taking all this into consideration, it is indeed timely that we have gathered today to review the situation as regards the Abuja Declaration on Roll Back Malaria and to commemorate the first anniversary since it was adopted. The goals of this declaration are to reduce by half the malarial mortality for Africa s people by 2010. This we need to do by initiating activities at country level and work with our partners to create an enabling environment for the control of this disease.
Proper arrangements have to be made to prevent pregnant women from malaria.
The Declaration called for the promotion of community participation for enhancing sustainability and for making the diagnosis of Malaria available in all areas and villages including those remotely located. One year after, it is encouraging to have the International Community begin to pay more attention to the problem of malaria in Africa. I am gratified to learn that the UN General Assembly decided, on the recommendation of the General Committee, to include at its 55 th session an item in its agenda proclaiming 2001 - 2010 to be a Decade for rolling back malaria in Africa. Within the continent, there is a determined effort to set in motion the implementation of the Plan of Action agreed upon in Abuja last year. This commemoration should also be used as an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to implement the agreement arrived at in Abuja.