In Ethiopia, malaria is prevalent in three-quarter of the country rendering over 40 million people at risk. Due to the unstable nature of the disease transmission, epidemics are common causing high mortality and morbidity every year. Annually, an average of 400,000-600,000 cases with positive blood film for malaria are treated. However, the actual number of malaria cases that occur annually is estimated to be between 4 - 5 million. Apart from being a health hazard, the impact of malaria on socio-economic development of the country is high.
Malaria debilitates the active population resulting in low productivity and impaired growth.
It strains the economy of the families and the country through considerable cost incurred for treatment and public health activities to control the disease. Hence, recognizing the burden that malaria places on the population of Ethiopia and that malaria remains a killer disease and a barrier to sustainable social and economic development, the Ministry of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia considered malaria control among its top priority activities. The conference was held at UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa from 7 - 9 February 2000. The main aim of the conference was to strengthen and accelerate the effort to control malaria in Ethiopia through sustainable partnership in line with the principles of the Global Roll Back Malaria Initiative and with in the context of the Health Sector Development Programme of the country. H.E. Dr. Kebede Tadesse, Minister Responsible for Social and Administrative Sub-sector, Prime Minister Office.