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AFRICA: WHO says US $2 billion needed to fight malaria

[Nigeria] Dora Akunyili, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Adminstration and Control (NAFDAC), who is leading Nigeria's crackdown on fake drugs. August 2005. IRIN
Dora Akunyili, une femme déterminée à combattre la contrefaçon des médicaments au Nigeria
    LAGOS

    WHO said on Wednesday that an estimated US $2 billion would be required to in a new drive to combat global malaria.

    WHO spokesperson Tuoyo Okorosobo told IRIN on Wednesday the new global campaign, championed by WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland, would start in sub-Saharan Africa which had the highest number of sufferers: "Of course this is just an estimate, but yes, we are looking at a figure of about two billion US dollars."

    Speaking from the Mozambique capital, Maputo, where officials from around Southern Africa gathered this week to discuss the elimination of the mosquito-borne disease in the sub-continent, he said the aim was "to develop a consensus so that WHO's Roll Back Malaria (RBM) initiative can be put into practice".

    RBM, the spokesperson, said was aimed at not only helping countries control malaria, but also at helping improve health care services for malaria sufferers. RBM is a joint effort between WHO, the UN's Development Programme (UNDP), the UN's Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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