U.N. Agencies Join Ethiopia’s Call For $7 Million To Fight Malaria

Facing the possibility of a major malaria epidemic, Ethiopia has joined with UNICEF and the World Health Organization to raise nearly $7 million for new medicines to fight the disease, the United Nations said yesterday.
U.N. Agencies Join Ethiopia’s Call For $7 Million To Fight Malaria

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Facing the possibility of a major malaria epidemic, Ethiopia has joined with UNICEF and the World Health Organization to raise nearly $7 million for new medicines to fight the disease, the United Nations said yesterday.

The money would go toward acquiring artemisinin-based combination therapy, which is more expensive than older treatments but also more effective. A joint study by WHO and the Ethiopian Health Ministry found high resistance rates among current drugs.

The new drugs “are much more effective in combating malaria, especially for the most vulnerable people: pregnant and lactating mothers and children under the age of 5,” said Angela Walker of UNICEF’s Ethiopia office.

“We need to generate this $6.9 million to meet the needs in the next six months and avert any epidemic that might occur,” she said.

Malaria is the leading cause of death in Ethiopia, and about 6.1 million cases and up to 110,000 malaria-related deaths were recorded during a major outbreak last year. Walker said the country’s prolonged dry spell could make people more susceptible to the disease.

The fundraising effort is part of the government’s Roll Back Malaria program (U.N. release, July 27).

http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20040728/449_26256.asp