October 2011

Malaria in Africa Can be Eliminated

A recent publication by MEG members Kent Campbell and Rick Steketee in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene argues that through the use of today’s interventions and augmented in the future with newer tools such as vaccines, malaria in Africa can be eliminated. Dramatic success over the past decade has been achieved through the scale up of interventions such as bed nets, indoor residual spraying, diagnostics and effective antimalarial medicines. Malaria elimination in Africa is feasible; however, sustained political and financial commitment is critical if the gains are to be maintained.