New fight needed against killer malaria in Asia
AUSTRALIA: Asia accounts for 88 percent of all malaria cases and most
of the 46,000 annual deaths occurring outside Africa, a new report shows
Friday as experts demand more urgency in fighting the deadly disease.
Leading scientists and health experts meeting in Sydney this week at
the “Malaria 2012: Saving Lives in the Asia-Pacific” conference also
want tougher political leadership and regional coordination.
Most international efforts to defeat malaria have so far focused on
Africa, where the majority of deaths occur.
But out of the 3.3 billion people at risk from the mosquito-borne
disease, 2.5 billion live outside the African region.
Fatoumata Nafo-Traore, director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership,
the global framework for coordinated action against the disease, called
for that to change.
“Asia accounts for the second highest burden of malaria, second only
to Africa,” she said.
“In the face of persistent economic uncertainty and profound changes
in the landscape of global development aid, the region needs strong
political leadership.
“It also needs to develop financing strategies that include
substantive and sustained domestic investment, traditional multilateral
and bilateral aid and truly innovative sources of funding.” She was
speaking at the launch of a new report, “Defeating Malaria in Asia, the
Pacific, Americas, Middle East and Europe”, a joint initiative with the
World Health Organization.
It showed that the parasite threatens more than two billion people
each year in the Asia-Pacific region, while smaller numbers are at risk
in the Americas (160 million) and Middle East (250 million).
According to the report, there were some 34 million cases of malaria
outside Africa in 2010, claiming the lives of an estimated 46,000
people.
The Asia-Pacific, which includes 20 malaria-endemic countries,
accounted for 88 percent, or 30 million, of these cases and 91 percent,
or 42,000, of the deaths.
India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea were hardest
hit.
AFP |
