Political drive to eliminate malaria has been gathering pace over recent years and donor funding for malaria control has increased substantially from around USDollars 18 million in 1998, to Dollars 1-5 billion in 2007 These commitments are seeing results. Seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and an additional 22 countries worldwide reduced mortality from malaria by 50% between 2000 and 2007 But huge obstacles still need to be overcome to move towards elimination. Coverage of the key interventions to prevent and treat malaria-long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets, artemisinin-based combination therapies, and indoor residual spraying-is poor in Africa and Asia because of weak public health systems and infrastructure. And, as described in a Special Report in The Lancet today, resistance to artemisinin is emerging along the Thai/Cambodia border, which suggests that a frontline tool for elimination might not last.
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