Malaria N° 6 - Subject N° 7

SHOULD THE NATIONAL ANTIMALARIAL PROGRAMMES BE MODIFIED? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
F.J. Louis, D. Baudon & G. Martet

SUMMARY
The failure of the strategy for the eradication of malaria in Africa has led the World Health Organisation (WHO) to develop antimalarial plans adapted to each situation. By the end of the 1980’s nearly all of the countries in Africa had a National Antimalarial Programme in place (NPFM), which was usually set up with the advice and help of the WHO. In 1996, the result is disappointing: the malarial situation across Africa has hardly improved at all.
The authors suggest that the NPFM should be looked at again with the aim of improving the targeting of objectives and concentrating available resources on some pertinent activities. This is a preliminary critical analysis, that the authors hope to enrich with the ideas and the thoughts of those responsible for the NPFM as well as those working in the field.

KEY WORDS: Malaria, National antimalarial programmes