WHO: Widely Available Treatments Keeping Malaria under Better Control

A WHO report says one-third of the 108 countries, where malaria was endemic, were on course to eradicate the disease within ten years.

According to the World Malaria Report 2010 released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of deaths caused by malaria has decreased by more than 20% worldwide over the last decade, thanks to improved diagnostic testing and the increased availability of treatments.

The report noted there were 225 million cases of malaria and an estimated 781,000 deaths in 2009, a decrease from 233 million cases and 985,000 deaths in 2000.

Information from manufacturers indicates the number of Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) procured has increased every year since 2005 and by the end of 2009, 11 African countries were providing sufficient courses of ACTs to cover more than 100% of malaria cases seen in the public sector.