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| National |
| Spare a bottle for mosquito net, says Ntaba |
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by
Simon Mbvundula, 28 November 2005
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07:10:09
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Minister of Health and Population Hetherwick Ntaba on Friday appealed to Malawians adults who drink to spare one bottle of beer to buy a mosquito net for their family.
Speaking during an interview at the end of the Sadc Malaria Week, which also marked the launch of a five-year Malaria Strategic Plan in Lilongwe, Ntaba said despite its devastating impact, malaria can be prevented by use of treated mosquito nets.
“Malaria is a deadly enemy yet it can be avoided. Malaria deaths can be substantially cut if not eliminated in Malawi with solutions that are now available,” said Ntaba.
The health minister said malaria is a disease of the poor, saying nine out of ten cases of malaria in Africa occur in the poor southern Sahara Africa where Malawi lies.
He said his ministry has purchased and distributed about three million nets and treatment kits for free as a contribution to the Sadc Malaria Week activities.
He also disclosed that government has received close to K5 billion for the National Malaria Strategic Plan for 2005 to 2010 from the Global Fund.
On malaria treatment, Ntaba said the current Fansidar SP drug still remains a curative measure despite its 15 to 20 percent resistance to the malaria parasite until government comes up with a new drug.
Speaking at the same function, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Matshidiso Moeti said lack of information has made most African countries fail to achieve preventive and curative measures against the disease.
“Lack of education, information and poor access to effective interventions have impeded the success of [a] roll back malaria programme in the African region,” said Moeti.
But she congratulated Malawi for coming second after Eritrea in reaching the Abuja target on insecticide treated nets.
At the Abuja African summit in 2000, heads of state committed themselves to halving the burden of malaria by 2010 and one target was to achieve 60 percent coverage of all at risk population with suitable curative and preventive measures by 2005.
At the same function, Unicef representative Aida Girma donated three vehicles to the Ministry of Health.
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