Malaria is Alive and Well and Killing 3000 A Day

Malaria is Alive and Well and Killing More Than 3000 African Children Every Day

WHO and UNICEF call for urgent increased effort to Roll Back Malaria

The Africa Malaria Report, released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), says the death toll from malaria remains outrageously high - with more than 3000 African children dying daily.

It also stresses that new effective anti-malarial drugs are not yet accessible to those who need them and that only a small proportion of children at risk of malaria are protected by highly effective insecticide treated nets.

The report, officially launched by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya in commemoration of Africa Malaria Day, gives a continent-wide picture of the struggle against malaria and highlights the urgent need to make effective anti-malarial treatment available to those most at risk.

"The Roll Back Malaria Initiative has made considerable progress since it was launched in 1998, but we need to increase efforts to combat a devastating disease which is holding back the development of many African countries," states Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of WHO. "Malaria continues to tighten its grip on Africa. By scaling up our efforts, we can reverse this trend."

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