WHO sees better financing denting malaria toll
The World Health Organisation’s battle against malaria is showing gains, but it says prevention and treatment against the killer disease must still be increased. In its latest malaria report, WHO found that improved delivery of mosquito nets and malaria drugs had made significant inroads in cutting back cases. The success was backed by a massive increase in funds, from $300 million to $1.7 billion over the past six years. But WHO says another $5 billion is needed every year to prevent the disease from affecting up to 40% of the world's population, many of whom are children in Africa. Some one million people worldwide die from malaria each year, with children accounting for 90% of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and regions of Asia. The disease has built resistance to the cheapest and most widely used drugs, but combination therapy drugs, seen to be the most effective barrier against malaria, are expensive - which slows their access by the poor. Read more: Reuters, AP
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