10/10/07
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20071010/wehome.htm
THE Australian government, through AusAID, has committed K25 million towards the fight against malaria in PNG over the next three years, starting in 2008.
This was revealed by World Health Organisation (WHO) PNG representative Dr Eigil Sorensen during the opening of the 14th South West Pacific Malaria meeting in Madang yesterday.
Dr Sorensen said malaria continued to be a major public health problem in PNG as well as neighbouring Pacific countries including Solomon Islands and Vanuatu accounting for more than 60 per cent of the cases reported in WHO's Western Pacific region.
He said while Solomon Islands and Vanuatu had recorded some improvement to its annual incidence rate, PNG was still lagging. “I understand that there have been some problems with implementation but with a strong push most of the important activities will be completed on time. I encourage PNG to take the success of your neighbours as an example of what can be done,” he said.
AusAID would also be giving Solomon Islands and Vanuatu A$20 million over the next three years.
Dr Sorensen said the availability of a lot of funding posed a major challenge to the three countries’ national control programs to produce results.
“You have a unique chance, which is not likely to come up again to scale control measures to the point where the goal of eliminating malaria may be attainable,” he said. The three-day meeting, being attended by academics, medical practitioners, WHO representatives and partners in the South West Pacific region, aims to raise understanding of the epidemic and share ideas on how to eliminate the disease.
