Defeat Malaria, or Just Control It?; A Better Vaccine for Polio

02 November 2010

A Cambodian man purchases malaria medicine

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Malaria kills about one million people a year and sickens another two hundred fifty million. Most of the deaths are in young children in Africa. Malaria causes twenty percent of childhood deaths in Africa.

People become infected when they are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite.

A new study estimates the possibility of ending malaria in countries that have the deadliest form of the disease. Researchers found that this could be possible in most parts of the world within ten to fifteen years.

What it would require, they say, is reducing the spread of malaria by ninety percent from two thousand seven rates.

An international team created mathematical models and maps of areas where the disease is gone or almost gone. Andrew Tatem, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, led the study. Professor Tatem says a number of things have helped countries successfully fight malaria.

ANDREW TATEM: " ... such as relatively low levels of malaria risk to start with, political stability, a good health system and low levels of population movement bringing in infections from elsewhere."

The study says malaria could be eliminated if countries are serious about using proven control measures. These include insecticides and bed nets.