#WorldMalariaDay Opinion: We can beat malaria if we move faster

Monday, April 25, 2016

(By Egon Weinmueller, vice president for global public health at BASF and chairman of the Vector Control team at CropLife International.) We have made great progress in recent years in combating malaria. The number of deaths globally has fallen by 60 percent and the number of malaria cases by 37 percent since 2000. It’s within our reach to eradicate malaria altogether. But a threat has arisen that may prevent us reaching this goal — insecticide resistance.

Vector control has been an important weapon in the fight against malaria. Indoor residual sprays and treated bed nets are now in use widely across Africa and Asia to kill mosquitoes and protect people. However, the Anopheles mosquito, the vector that transmits malaria to humans, is becoming increasingly resistant to pyrethroids, one of the most commonly used insecticides.

Source: Devex (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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healthcare technology, infectious diseases