Dr Mariatou Jallow, the secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare has disclosed that malaria kills more than a million people each year mainly children under five.  

She made this remark last Saturday during the International Malaria Day celebration which was held in Farafenni. SoS Jallow said the international community has nearly 20 year to meet the 2010 targets of delivering effective and affordable treatment to all people as called by the UN secretary general.  

Malaria she said, is a major public health problem around the world as between 300 to 500 million in more than 100 countries suffer malaria annually in which about 90% occured in sub-saharan Africa. According to her, though a curerable and preventable, the disease kill more than a million people each year mainly children under 5 noting that the economic border of malaria have not been fully determine.

In The Gambia, she said malaria is the probable cause of 4% infant death and 25% of death in children annually. For his part, Alpha Jallow, from the WHO said this year's theme 'counting malaria out' is prompted by the recent called by the United Nation secretary general for universal access to malaria prevention and treatment intervention by the end of 2010 and elimination of malaria deaths by 2015. According to him, the theme is also in line with the World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA) 60.18 which calls for a broad range of national and international actions to scale up malaria control programmes. He said malaria control cannot be achieved without concerted efforts in the Africa region, adding that the WHO world malaria report 2008 shows that the African region accounts for 86% of the malaria related deaths world wide.

He noted that the vision of expanding malaria free areas in Africa requires decisive action from government, NGOs, the private sector and civil society if success is to be registered. Adam Jagne-Sonko, deputy programe manager, National Malaria Control Program said malaria is the major parasitic infection in people accounting for more than 1 million deaths a year. According to her, the department of state for Health and Social welfare strongly believe that effort directed against malaria are not a one time job and need to be sustained in order to bring about meaningful impact on the disease that can be translated in terms of improve health and socio-economic development.

Alhagie Edwarr Seckan, the governor of North Bank Region, said in fulfilment of their role, the government of The Gambia under President Jammeh's leadership has from January 2008 to March 2009, financed the distribution in the North Bank Region of 81,357 mosquito nets and 24,351 long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets in which a total of 63.3% were distributed to children under 5 years.

He added that 17.6% where also distributed to pregnant women and 19.6% to disable. According to him,  during the same period, an amount of 12,271 mosquito nets where also dipped in North Bank Region. The ceremony was attended by health officials from the Global Fund and a cross section of the community. Certificates were awarded to media house.