Is Malaria Beatable?

Effective, low-cost tools exist to prevent and treat the disease but access to core anti-malaria interventions will not eliminate the mosquito vector or malaria parasite. CIWEM believes that malaria has gone beyond being just a health issue and that it is an environmental management issue that affects where and how people live. Climatic change is aggravating the situation by causing more conducive breeding conditions and allowing malaria carrying mosquitoes to spread further geographically. Water management has received far less attention compared to other control measures but as mosquitoes are becoming more resistant to pesticides and drugs are becoming less effective, finding water management-based interventions is becoming an increasingly important alternative.

With less than a year to go to meet the target of delivering effective and affordable protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria, World Malaria Day on 25th April marks a critical moment. CIWEM calls on countries, communities and NGOs to show leadership in prioritising malaria, increasing their health budgets and in managing malaria resources effectively. This includes implementing effective environmental management strategies that take into account the changing climate.

CIWEM Director of International Development, Paul Horton, says: "CIWEM recognises the tremendous burden of malaria on the lives and economies of those living in endemic countries. With malaria claiming the lives of children and incapacitating adults, the disease is holding back the development of an entire continent. There is no time to waste in the urgent struggle against malaria and governments, businesses and NGOs must work together to control malaria. So far the climate change aspect of malaria has been missed but countries need to bring together environment and health departments in order to manage malaria, as eradication is no longer on the agenda."