Malaria Programs at Risk From Funding Cuts
December 21, 2012
Funding for programs to control malaria and provide universal treatment for the mosquito-borne disease is falling short of international goals, according to the World Health Organization. In its annual report, the WHO also warns that the latest drugs could soon become ineffective against some deadly malarial parasites.
Ami Diabate, has brought her three children to a rural clinic to get the latest anti-malarial drugs.
The aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières - or Doctors Without Borders - is rolling out the pilot program across Mali. Results are encouraging - a 65-percent drop in infections a week after distribution.
Deadly disease
Diabate said she has noticed an immediate difference.
"My children used to have fevers regularly, she said, but since they started taking this medicine, they haven't run a temperature."
Malaria kills an estimated 660,000 people every year. Over the past decade, advances in prevention and treatment have cut the death rate by 30 percent.
The World Health Organization warns, however, that funding increases over the past two years have slowed significantly - putting such progress at risk.
Simon Wright is head of child survival at the aid agency, Save the Children.
“The financial crisis means that a lot of governments - not all by any means - but a lot of governments are tailing off in their aid budgets. And so where we were seeing growth we’re not seeing growth any more. But also there’s a factor of maybe donors changing their interests,” said Wright.
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