allAfrica.com: Zambia: World Unites to Kick Out Malaria (Page 1 of 3)

APRIL 25, 2008 will obviously remain memorable to many Zambians. Livingstone, the tourist capital was honoured with hosting the inaugural World Malaria Day (WMD).

The occasion witnessed by notable figures, including Malaria goodwill ambassadors, Princess Astrid of Belgium and famous South African musician, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, brought together several dignitories whose respective roles, spelt out what can be achieved through collective efforts.

The Livingstone community was lifted up with the volume of activities undertaken prior to the day itself, which the residents described as an honour.

Anti malaria expedition notable among the events preceding the commemoration was the Zambezi River of Life Expedition (ZAROLE), which entailed a 2,500km voyage from its source in Mwinilunga, across six Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, where it pours into the Indian Ocean.

The 2,500 km voyage, planned in Livingstone in February, 2000 and launched on March 29, 2008, under the leadership of German Journalist Helge Bendl and Swiss boating expert, Andy Leeman, has already show- cased successes and highlighting the challenges associated with fighting the disease which knows no borders and one of the leading infectious diseases.

During the expedition team's stop over in Livingstone for the World Malaria Day, Mr Bendl said the expedition had so far exposed several setbacks in the health care and thanked the Roll Back Malaria Partnership for making the exercise successful. "By exposing the difficulties of delivering mosquito nets and medications to remote areas, the Zambezi expedition will demonstrate that only a coordinated cross border action can force the disease to recoil and turn the lifeline of Southern Africa into a river of life to those threatened by Malaria," he said.

The expedition team found many Angolans walking to nearby Zambia for health services lacking in their country due to the 27 year war, as Mr Bendl commended Zambia's successful record of fighting Malaria although a lot still needed to be done in remote areas.

Mr Bendl, however, said the SADC region collaboration has kept the Malaria fight on course, towards remarkable success, although a lot more has to be done. As part of the multi-directional confrontation against the disease, 30 men cycled from Serenje and arrived in Livingstone on the WMD, covering a distance of more than 1000 kilometres. Health Minister Brian Chituwo, who is SADC health ministers chairman said the regional body has resolved to initiate joint control measures towards significantly reducing malaria illnesses and deaths in the region.

Dr Chituwo said through the Southern Africa Regional Network (SARN), centred on collaboration, it is necessary to work together to harmonise their vector control and anti malarial drug policies to standardise interventions in the region.

He said the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative by South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland was such an example of collaboration in fighting Malaria- with the Mozambique segment extended to prevent malaria from afflicting more than 500,000 people in the LSDI control areas. "In addition, the cross border initiative through the Trans-Zambezi initiative also demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that malaria is eliminated through joint activities in border towns," Dr Chituwo said.

Disease burden is a major public health problem in more than 90 countries, inhabited by almost 2.5 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world's population, malaria is estimated to kill child every 30 seconds and to cause up to 350 million new infections worldwide every year.

According to the WHO, malaria is the biggest killer disease for children in Africa (more than AIDS, TB or any other disease) and a primary cause of death and poverty, with over 60 prevalence and 90 per cent deaths recorded in Africa.

About 350 to 500 million infections and over one million deaths, mostly among the young in Africa are recorded annually. "With between one and three million deaths recorded annually and 3,000 children deaths daily, malaria remains one of the globe's leading infectious killers with most victims being children under the age of five and pregnant women," the WHO report says.

Malaria's catastrophic economic impact by taking up 40 per cent of developing countries health expenditure which coupled with its burden on families, is undermining development in some of the poorest countries in the world, malaria remains an economic catastrophe.

According to the RBM partnership, Africa loses $12 billion in productivity annually, as annual economic growth of malaria-endemic countries stands at 1.3 per cent lower than non malaria-endemic nations, while countries which have brought down malaria like Mozambique, have recorded improved growth. The WHO also estimates that sub-Saharan Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would be up to 32 per cent greater today had malaria been eliminated 35 years ago. This would mean up to $100 billion added to the region's current GDP, a sum nearly five times greater than all development aid provided to Africa in 2007.

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