It is indeed good to hear that the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) has excelled in the fulfillment of its mandate by reducing drastically the rate of malaria-related deaths by 90%; malaria referral cases in the hospitals are also reported to have reduced by 70%. Such an achievement in our collective quest to eliminate malaria is indeed remarkeble and constitutes a major push in the drive towards the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).  We hope the programme would continue to register more successes so that The Gambia becomes a malaria-free country in the near future.

The successes registered by NMCP notwithstanding, we must sustain the fight against the disease. We should not lose sight of the fact that malaria remains one of the world's most deadly diseases, and kills more people than any other except tuberculosis. In many developing countries, in Africa especially, malaria exacts an enormous toll on lives, and cause labour losses. The malaria parasites are also developing high levels of resistance to one drug after another, while many insecticides are no longer useful against mosquitoes transmitting the disease.

In the light of the above, NMCP's successes should be built upon to expand the use of the effective low-cost strategies available for malaria treatment, prevention and control. Prevention of malaria in pregnant women, through measures such as Intermittent Preventive Treatment and the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) result in improvement in maternal health, infant health and survival. Prompt access to treatment with effective up-to-date medicine, such as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) saves lives. 

A change of attitude on the part of the people with regards to sanitation will also aid greatly in the fight against malaria.  This entails taking seriously the montly 'Operation clean the nation', which will not only keep our environment tidy at all times, but also ensure that mosquitoes are denied places to breed.  We hope that the achievement of the NMCP will be an inspiration in our fight against malaria.