Zambia continues to make strides in reducing malaria

The World Bank says Zambia has made tremendous progress against malaria with financial and technical support from partners.

However, a 2010 Malaria Indicator Survey showed a resurgence in malaria and anemia in certain provinces, largely driven by reduced coverage of nets and indoor residual spraying in some areas.

In the Northern Province, for example, parasite prevalence among children increased from 12% in 2008 to 23% in 2010.

The World Bank states the share of under-five children who slept under a net increased from 24% to 50%; which resulted in the reduction of malaria incidences and the share of children with severe anemia declined from 14% to 9%.

Meanwhile, over the past decade, 11 African countries have reduced confirmed malaria cases or malaria admissions and deaths by more than 50%.

In all of them—Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia—these decreases are linked with intense malaria control interventions.

And Since 2005, the World Bank has committed $762.8 million to the fight against malaria in Africa, more than a ten-fold increase since 2000-2005.

It has financed 73.8 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets and 25.3 million doses of malaria medication over the past five years.

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