U.N. urges world to help Africa fight malaria

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - African countries hardest hit by malaria are failing to contain it and a new U.N. campaign launched on World Malaria Day on Friday aims to ensure that all Africa has access to basic malaria control measures.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said some African countries have fallen behind in fighting the disease, which the World Health Organization estimates kills 1.3 million people each year, mostly children under age 5.

"In recent years, several African countries have made dramatic strides in malaria control, but the most affected nations remain off track to reach the goal of halting and reversing the incidence of the disease," Ban said.

"We need desperately to step up our efforts to roll back malaria."

More than 40 percent of the world's population in more than 100 countries is at risk of catching the mosquito-borne disease. Although malaria kills most of its victims in sub-Saharan Africa, the disease also hits people in much of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Ban said he wanted all of Africa to have enough mosquito nets or quality household sprays for the entire population by Dec. 31, 2010, along with sufficient malaria clinics and preventative treatment centers for high-risk pregnant women.

"This initiative will offer indoor residual spraying, and bed nets treated with long-lasting insecticide, to all people at risk, especially women and children in Africa," Ban said.

Ann Veneman, director of the U.N. Children's Fund, said malaria is a curable and preventable disease and cited the distribution of insecticidal nets in Ethiopia and Kenya.