Tracking progress in maternal, newborn & child survival

Up to 3,000 children die each day Some one million people die each year Number of cases has quadrupled in 20 years

The WHO and Unicef have said prompt treatment of malaria, plus proper use of the nets could reduce malaria transmission by up to 60% and death rates in young children by around a fifth. Resistance Malaria cases are on the increase, with around four times the number of cases in the 1990s compared to the 1970s and two to three times the number of deaths in hospital. In large part, this is due to high levels of resistance to the drugs chloroquin and sulphadoxine-pyrithemaine (SP). Using artemisinin drugs, derived from the Chinese plant Artemisia annua in combination with other drugs such as amodiaquine can eradicate malaria symptoms in three days. The drugs cost $1 to $3, compared to chloroquin which costs around 10 cents. ACT has been introduced in some African countries, including the KwaZulu Natal province, where there was an 80% reduction in hospital deaths from malaria when ACT was introduced. Other countries want to follow WHO guidance and introduce the therapy, but cannot afford to. Malaria is one of the biggest killers of pregnant women. (Source: BBC NEWS ONLINE)

Please log in or register to read the full article

back to news