African countries deliberate on closing 50% malaria funding gap

Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, who made this known at a briefing during the ongoing special African Union (AU) Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Abuja yesterday, stressed that Nigeria is refocusing its approach to malaria.Chukwu said:  “We have realized that we need to refocus. What we need to do is focus where the […]

Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, who made this known at a briefing during the ongoing special African Union (AU) Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Abuja yesterday, stressed that Nigeria is refocusing its approach to malaria.
Chukwu said:  “We have realized that we need to refocus. What we need to do is focus where the problem is. There is progress, but we think that there is more to be done. It is only when we know where the gap exists that we can know where we can have targeted interventions.
“As leaders, we have shown increased commitment. Next week I will make a presentation to the National Economic Council (NEC) on a new intervention plan on malaria for the country. It could be better, but today nobody can accuse African leaders of not being committed.”
One of the greatest challenge  is to close the  gap totalling over 50% which is a major problem  in African countries.
Executive Director of the RollBack Malaria Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traore,  in an interview with newsmen in Abuja said that the biggest challenges facing Africa were the double-edged problems of the financing gap and the development of resistance to insecticides.
The mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite are increasingly developing resistance to the available insecticides, she said.
She noted that though extra ordinary progress had been made in many African countries on the malaria control, many of the countries are very poor and are in dire need of financial support to roll back malaria.
She said:  “5-6 Billion US dollars is required per year worldwide every year to fight malaria. The problem is worth hit in developing countries, especially in Nigeria. Only 50% of funds needed are made available through national budgets, but mostly from donor support. More funds are needed urgently.”
She said the April 2011 African Heads of State and Government helped largely to take action on it.