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World Malaria Day 2013 celebrated in Afghanistan

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A speaker addresses the audience in Afghanistan on the occasion of World Malaria Day 2013WHO is committed to supporting Afghanistan’s national malaria and leishmaniasis control programme by moving from the implementation of single interventions to a more systematic and country-based approach in programme activities.Kabul, April 30, 2013 – The Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan celebrated World Malaria Day 2013 in Kabul on 30 April 2013 under the theme of: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria.

H.E. Dr Abdul Basir Sarwar, Deputy Minister of Public Health, acknowledged the valued partnership of WHO, the Global Fund, BRAC and HealthNet TPO. He said that malaria was a major public health concern in Afghanistan with about 22.6 million of the population living in endemic areas and faced with the threat of being infected with malaria.

Dr Ali Hasan, Programme Manager, BRAC, acknowledged the continuous contribution of the Global Fund in reducing the burden of malaria across Afghanistan and praised all partners, including WHO, for their continuous support to the national programme to control malaria in Afghanistan.

He also highlighted some of the interventions that are being implemented by the national malaria and leishmaniasis control programme, HealthNet TPO and BRAC, including deployment of RDTs and ACTs at health post level and community-based malaria management services for internally-displaced persons. Dr Hasan asked for the continuous commitment of all partners to work together against malaria in Afghanistan to ensure its elimination.

Dr Sayed Karam Shah, Officer-in-Charge, WHO/Afghanistan, said, “The WHO Global Malaria Programme’s new initiative – T3: Test. Treat. Track. – supports malaria-endemic countries in their efforts to achieve universal coverage with diagnostic testing and antimalarial treatment, as well as strengthening malaria surveillance systems”. He noted that integrated prevention, control and elimination of malaria was in alignment with Afghanistan's Strategic Health Plan (2010–2015), which will be increasing programme coverage for communicable diseases as a strategic objective.

Related links

Global Fund

BRAC in Afghanistan

HealthNet TPO

Regional malaria control and elimination programme