This is a very, very thoughtful article and hits the point concerning sustainability of donor and even recipient interest and funding over enough time to achieve true eradication. Malaria is complicated with a host of human, mosquito and ecological determinants, unlike small pox, the only disease eradicated to date. The island of Zanzibar is approaching elimination, but human migration could still cause problems if the mosquitoes are still there. Even on the island of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where donors and big oil have been fighting this disease for decades, malaria persists. Madagascar is another island - admittedly huge - so maybe there is hope for eliminating malaria. The issue of nets is important. Most programs to date offer nets mainly to children under five years of age. Some nets reach pregnant women, but until everyone sleeps under a net, a reservoir of malaria infection will persist. Let\'s keep hoping, but be realistic as the writer suggests. Bill Brieger, MalariaFreeFuture
the only problem i see is that goverments keep dropping the ball.
They politicize a problem untill a new flavour of the day shows up and deverts their attention. good causes are only good as long as they dont become pepetual jobs for those that depend on the cause be neverending.
Bill BriegerDec 31st, 2007 - 12:31:13
This is a very, very thoughtful article and hits the point concerning sustainability of donor and even recipient interest and funding over enough time to achieve true eradication. Malaria is complicated with a host of human, mosquito and ecological determinants, unlike small pox, the only disease eradicated to date. The island of Zanzibar is approaching elimination, but human migration could still cause problems if the mosquitoes are still there. Even on the island of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, where donors and big oil have been fighting this disease for decades, malaria persists. Madagascar is another island - admittedly huge - so maybe there is hope for eliminating malaria. The issue of nets is important. Most programs to date offer nets mainly to children under five years of age. Some nets reach pregnant women, but until everyone sleeps under a net, a reservoir of malaria infection will persist. Let\'s keep hoping, but be realistic as the writer suggests. Bill Brieger, MalariaFreeFuture
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