World Health Organization: Reporting Progress in 2010

The World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2010 shows the substantial progress made in malaria control and prevention, and outlines the work still needed for eventual elimination.

There’s a lot of great news in the report, thanks to the dedication of organizations like The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; partnerships like Roll Back Malaria; and the hard work of supporters like you:

• Global funding for malaria has steeply increased in the past decade. 
• This funding has resulted in “tremendous progress” in increasing available nets.
• By the end of this year, 289 million nets will have been delivered to Sub-Saharan Africa since 2008. This is enough to cover 76% of the 765 million people at risk of malaria.
• 23 countries in Africa have adopted the WHO recommendation to provide nets to everyone at risk of malaria — an increase of 13 countries since 2008.

But, these nets do not last forever. Nets delivered between 2008 and 2010 will need to be replaced in order to maintain our progress, and keep families safe.

Long-lasting, incesticide-treated bed nets are one of the best tools in the fight against malaria. The report shows an increase in resistance to the drugs commonly used to treat malaria — more evidence of the need to prevent the disease, including the use of nets.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon remains positive and encourages people like you to continue your hard work in preventing malaria. He concludes, “The World Malaria Report 2010 shows what is possible when we join forces and embrace the mission of saving lives. If we heed the lessons highlighted in this report, we can achieve our goal of ending malaria deaths by the year 2015…and usher in a better future for all.”