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Malaria – the Gambia success story
When it comes to fighting malaria, Gambia is leading the way. Engaged in a relentless battle against this disease since the start of this century, the country is now beginning to reap the rewards of its efforts with malaria quite plainly in freefall in Gambia.
Last year, for example, the “Roll Back Malaria Partnership” was able to paint a positive picture of the actions undertaken. This was because local health authorities realised that only by combining several weapons could the disease be brought to an end. So there has been mass distribution of insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets and the introduction of new combined treatments replacing chloroquine which has become increasingly less effective. Not forgetting the training of qualified healthcare workers able to cover the whole of the country.
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of deaths has dropped … from 90% in many regions. This is really encouraging states Dr David Conway of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. To such an extent that we can envisage being able to remove Gambia from the list of countries where malaria is endemic.
This achievement gives room for hope that this devastating disease can actually be brought under control. Worldwide more than a million people still die from malaria every year and all too often it is Africa that pays the heaviest price, with 800,000 children under the age of 5 killed by the disease in 2006.
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