Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya has noted the need for African countries to increase domestic financing towards malaria elimination programmes.
Speaking when he officially opened the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-regional national malaria control programme managers and partners meeting in Lusaka, Dr. Chilufya says it is important to innovate and come up with domestic financing mechanisms to eliminate malaria.
He says the fact remains that malaria is a public health challenge that continues to claim lives of children, men and women, but that it is also a preventable and treatable disease.
Dr Chilufya has called on African countries to embrace health in all policies and ensure that all sectors participate in the elimination of malaria.
He notes the need to strengthen community participation, cross border collaboration and being ambassadors in the fight to eliminate malaria.
Dr Chilufya, however, states that political will is very critical for countries to eliminate malaria.
Speaking at the same event, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti who was represented by WHO Country representative Dr Nathan Bakyaita has noted that malaria and elimination programmes in Africa are performing poorly due to a notable decrease in funding for malaria programmes.
She says a malaria free Africa will not be achieved without a significant increase in financing towards malaria programmes.