Thursday, April 30, 2009

World Malaria Day: Ending the scourge

Battling MALARIA:

...

One of the key questions is where to focus first. Some believe it is best to start in the more severely affected countries, while others support initially choosing nations where there is less malaria in order to build momentum.

Brian Greenwood of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, believes it is important to tackle the less threatening enemy first, in countries where there is the least possibility of malaria returning across the borders of neighboring states....

Dr. Donald Hopkins, vice president of health programs at the Carter Center, believes tackling the big enemy first is the best approach.

“I think you are very, very well advised to start in the worst affected areas first or very, very early. Sometimes you see folks want to get rid of the easier areas first to establish momentum but that’s a mistake in my view,” he said...


(but Greenwood continues)He also noted, “You’ve got to start somewhere first.” That has already happened, in both the most severely affected countries, as well as those with lower malaria prevalence. As more insecticide-treated bed nets are distributed, more homes are sprayed and more people are treated for the disease, the momentum has already accelerated

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