Access to services and information
At least 90 per cent of malarial deaths occur in low income, sub-Saharan Africa with pregnant mothers and children under five being at the highest risk. Although malaria control measures are relatively inexpensive, a large proportion of the population in need have limited access due to costs involved in terms of time, money and travel distance; lack of information about the benefits of services; and the low performance of national health systems.
Civil unrest and large population movements to highly endemic areas fuel the problem in some of these countries. Public-private partnership is seen as a necessary measure to improve malaria control services’ coverage while at the same time ensuring equity.
- Reducing the burden of childhood malaria in Africa: the role of improved diagnostics
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This paper examines the potential impact of improved malaria diagnostic tests on children up to five years old in sub-Saharan Africa. Presently, most malaria illnesses are diagnosed on clinical grounds resulting in over treatment. This is harmful because it delays diagnoses of other illnesses, contributes to the development of drug resistance and results in a waste of scarce resources.
Recommended reading
- The behavioural and social aspects of malaria and its control
- ( H.K. Heggenhougen; V. Hackethal; P. Vivek / World Health Organization , 2003)
- This paper, produced by the World Health Organization, emphasises the effect of social and cultural influences on human behaviour, and how this relates to malaria transmission. Understanding of peopl...
- Reducing malaria's burden: evidence of effectiveness for decision makers
- ( The Global Health Council , 2003)
- Produced by the Global Health Council, this review aims to identify priority interventions for decision-makers in the fight against malaria, through the assessment of existing prevention and treatment...
Latest Additions
- Developing an integrated approach to malaria interventions in Tanzania
- ( M. W. Hetzel;N. Iteba;A. Makemba / Malaria Journal, BioMed Central , 2007)
- This impact evaluation published in Malaria Journal looks at the ACCESS Programme in Tanzania. The programme's strategy is based on a set of integrated malaria interventions, including social marketin...
- The need to make malaria tests more widely available in Africa
- ( M.E. Rafael; T. Taylor; A.| Magill / Nature [journal] , 2006)
- Recommended reading
- This paper examines the potential impact of improved malaria diagnostic tests on children up to five years old in sub-Saharan Africa. Presently, most malaria illnesses are diagnosed on clinical ground...
