9 November 2001, KwaZulu-Natal
Hon. Dr F Songane, Minister of Health, Republic of Mozambique at the
at the Roll Back Malaria Celebrations
Honourable Ministers
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Lubombo Protocol that was signed in 1999 was a piece of paper that laid the basis for practical action. In fact, prior to the signing of the protocol the groundwork had been done to lay the foundation for intercountry collaboration. The Lubombo Protocol merely formalized it. When we are dealing with a disease like malaria this is a very good thing action first, bureaucratic formalities later.
We are convinced that our programme has worked. My colleague from Swaziland has just pointed to the details of the programme of action. One of its vital characteristics is that it emphasises the practical results within specific time frames. This is why the programme is so important historically.
The Lubombo area under discussion for accelerated agro-tourism development falls within an endemic malaria area. Malaria control measures are in place in South Africa and Swaziland in the development area, but it still encompasses the highest risk areas for malaria in the two countries. During the past year, the limited control measures in Mozambique were reinforced and strengthened to decrease malaria transmission. The devastating effects of malaria on communities in Africa and on development have already been outlined.
The area under discussion for development is contiguous - it ignores artificial political boundaries and can be considered one system especially with regard to the ecological and climatological factors that drive malaria transmission.
There is no doubt that malaria has had serious detrimental economic effects on development in the LSDI area and will continue to do so if it is not managed in a co-ordinated manner, for which we have the tools. The extremely low malaria risk (less than 10 cases per 1000 head of population per annum) in many of the former high-risk areas in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces highlight the latter. Surveys in the uncontrolled malaria areas of Mozambique indicate high infection rates, often above 40%.
The success demonstrated by malaria control measures in the Lubombo-SDI is without doubt, a remarkable regional achievement. The extension of malaria control to Mozambique resulted in a dramatic reduction in disease transmission in the highest risk malaria districts in South Africa and Swaziland. This success is reinforced by the fact that the Mpumalanga province that borders an unsprayed part of Mozambique only reported a marginal reduction in disease burden.
Three areas of action with regard to alleviating and managing the effects of malaria on the LSDI development area include:
Funding for the first year of the project was received from the South African Business Trust and second year of funding was provided by the Department of Health in South Africa. The Mozambique Ministry of Health also made available 2 tones of insecticide and contributed to the operational costs of the first round of spraying.
Additional financial support to extend the first year’s control activities was made available by Mozal, which has fully supported this intra-lateral programme.
The Business Trust - established by Southern Africa’s leading companies, in co-operation with the government of South Africa - recognised the job creation potential of this region and agreed to provide funding to start the malaria control programme immediately. This signaled the commitment of South Africa’s major corporations to this region and their willingness to participate in programmes that will benefit all of our people.
This project is in line with the goals of Roll Back Malaria initiative, an executive programme of the World Health Organisation. Insecticide residual house spraying is used as the mainstay of malaria vector control in six countries of southern Africa. During the past 50 years, this technique has been very effective in controlling malaria in South Africa and over the past year it has proved its usefulness in Mozambique. Moreover, this project has enabled the scientific assessment and costing of the programme, to develop a model for malaria control in areas with high potential for development in Africa.
Programmes that involve the spread of mosquito nets into rural villages are being tested in Mozambique and elsewhere in Africa. We have pilot programmes that make use of this technology and will use it to boost the chances of achieving our targets set for the next five years. We will achieve those targets and in so doing we will ensure that our motto - "Together we are rolling back malaria" - helps to turn the Lubombo region into a globally competitive area of economic growth and productivity.
Thank you.