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• <a class="colorbox init-colorbox-processed cboxElement" title="STING: Two teams from the Ministry of Health and Social Services carrying out a malaria spraying exercise for the northern town of Oshakati.
  PHOTO: NAMPA
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  STING: Two teams from the Ministry of Health and Social Services carrying out a malaria spraying exercise for the northern town of Oshakati. PHOTO: NAMPA

  
  

  
  
  
  

Namibia is on target to reduce its incidences of malaria by 75% before the end of next year.
This is despite the 2013 World Malaria Report highlighting the need for increased funding for malaria control in Africa.
According to the report, a total of 59 countries out of 103 that had ongoing malaria transmissions in 2000, are meeting their Millennium Development Goal target of reversing incidences of malaria.
Of these, 52 countries - including Namibia - are on track to meet the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) and World Health Organisation (WHO) targets of reducing malaria by 75% in 2015.
According to the report, the financing of the anti-malaria programme was estimated to be less than half of the estimated N$56.8 billion required globally.
This has put a million people at risk of malaria infection, as many still do not have access to interventions such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying, and diagnostic and artemisinin-based combination therapies.
“Since 2000, a tremendous expansion in financing and coverage of malaria control programmes has led to a wide-scale reduction in malaria incidences and mortality. There is an urgent need to increase funding for malaria control and to expand programme coverage, in order to meet international targets for reducing malaria cases and deaths,” the report said.
In terms of its world health ranking, Namibia stands at 31, which is a moderate category compared to neighbouring countries like Zambia and Angola that have many more cases of malaria per year.
Botswana and South Africa have lower incidences of the disease.
Currently Namibia’s fight to eliminate malaria is supported through the 2013 Global Fund donation of N$1.3 billion.
Namibia’s grant is also being used to offset the fight against HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.
Last year the head of the Global Fund’s Africa and Middle East Department, Lelio Marmora, said Namibia had shown progress, with malaria mortality declining from 1 700 deaths in 2001 to 36 deaths in 2011.
According to data collected by the health ministry between the period of January and March 2013, about 1 000 malaria cases were reported in the country, which is less than the 2 500 during the same period in
2012.
Of the 1 000 people treated, only 102 were reportedly severe cases.
Malaria in Namibia is mostly found in the Caprivi and Kavango regions, where the country receives high rainfall and where idle water creates favourable conditions for mosquito breeding.